 Early
Life and Education
Johnson Neff was born on October 29, 1900 in Marionville, Missouri
where he grew up on a farm. He received a B.S. in horticulture
from the University of Missouri in 1924 and a M.S. from Oregon
State College in 1926. After school he returned to Missouri
to work as an orchard property manager and president of the
Lawrence County, Missouri Farm Bureau. In August, 1930 Neff
accepted a job in the Food Habits Division of the United States
Bureau of Biological Survey (BBS). He moved to California where
he worked for the BBS and the California State Department of
Agriculture.
Bird Banding
Bird banding proved to be a life-long pursuit for Neff. In
addition to his work for the
federal government, Neff banded birds from his Englewood, CO
home as a member of the Western Bird Banding Association. He
wrote articles for their publication including one that encouraged
fellow bird banders to focus their efforts on band-tailed pigeons,
white-wing doves and mourning doves, which were of interest
to Neff personally and professionally. Neff’s article
emphasized the importance of banding to formulate hunting policies.
Denver Wildlife Research Center
Neff moved to the Denver Wildlife Research Center in 1940 where
he performed studies including bird depredations in Arkansas
rice fields. He invented non-lethal forms of bird control that
included scaring birds, using mild chemicals, and planting at
times of the
year least likely to be affected by bird roosting. Neff believed
that birds usually did more good than harm because they ate
insects that caused extreme damage to crops.
Midway Island - Neff's Favorite Assignment
According to a letter to friends located at the Denver Public
Library, Neff’s favorite assignment studied bird obstructions
to airplanes on Midway Island in 1955. Midway
Island housed a U.S. Naval Base where east-bound military aircraft
stopped to refuel.
Neff observed the habits of the albatross or gooney bird and
banded the birds for further research. Neff described the birds
as impossible to deter. The birds did not react to noise, smoke,
vibrations, or egg destruction. In a speech Neff claimed, "Albatross
have no fear and frequently stand calmly on the runway even
when the wings of a moving transport pass overhead. On such
occasions the hazard is to the bird, not the plane, as the backwash
from the four great propellers spins them down the runway end
over end. At times the wind from the plane knocked them over,
causing damage to their wings."
Neff believed that the albatross did not cause enough injury
to warrant killing them. Many in the aviation industry agreed
that advances in airline technology would make the island unnecessary
in the next five to seven years. The albatross remained unmolested
on Midway Island.
Retirement
Neff retired in 1964 and received the Department of the Interior
Distinguished Service Award. The award read: "He, more
than anyone else, has been responsible for developing present
bird damage control techniques that are based on the recognition
that the populations involved are interesting wildlife species
to be preserved, but that local control of depredating birds
is necessary in some situations. His good judgment and skillful
work had a great impact in establishing the policies, and philosophy
that have guided the Bureau in bird control over the years." |
