The Turkey “Problem” at Capitol Reef National Monument
Fireside Talk
November 1, 2016
J. William T. Youngs
The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the Capitol Reef campground was a herd of deer, ambling comfortably between the tents and RVs. Then I spotted a flock of turkeys, quite at ease among the campers.
Although deer and turkeys were equally comfortable in the campground, the park service here is not equally comfortable with both species. The deer are welcome in the park; the turkeys less so. Imagine a big dinner with familiar and cherished guests. All well and good, but down at the far end of the table are some folks who just happened by and invited themselves in. They are pleasant enough and even somewhat colorful. But do they really belong?
That is how the park service — or at least the park biologist — regards the Capitol Reef turkeys.
They are an instance of that phenomenon known as an “invasive species.”
Such critters can wreak havoc anywhere: such as Asian carp in the Mississippi.
But in a national park they are especially obnoxious. The parks are devoted to preserving nature as it is for future generations to see and enjoy. Take a slice of time, preserve it, and do not allow any intruders. In fact, in some cases the parks even hew so closely to that principal that they reintroduce species of animals that have lost their accustomed place in the ecosystem: elk in the Great Smokies, for example, and wolves in Yellowstone. But woe unto any critter that sneaks across the border un-native and uninvited. If Donald Trump were the superintendent at Capitol Reef, he would promise to build a thirty-foot-high turkey-proof fence around the park — and make the turkeys pay for it!
That won’t happen, but what will be the fate of the Capitol Reef turkeys? “Leave it as it is” provides innumerable challenges for park management. Several years ago I interviewed a park ranger at Acadia National Park and learned just how difficult it can be to root out invasive species.
The park had successfully eradicated a particularly ugly and obnoxious weed. Lots of community volunteers joined in plucking up the plants. Together the park and the people formed a united front against the ugly invader. But the alliance proved to be frail.
The park next declared war on a particular kind of rose It too was an invasive species — but such a pretty little invader! The army of volunteers who had declared war on something ugly, withered away in the face of something beautiful!
I would not say that the Capitol Reef turkeys are beautiful, but they are reminders of an earlier America when turkeys were part of the national scene, in most parts of the land. And who can resist the charm of wild turkeys ambling among the historic fruit trees of Capitol Reef?
I can’t!
Here they are: