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Pacific salmon, the signature species of the Pacific Northwest, have declined across their range for well over a century, due to a myriad of human-caused effects on their habitat and the fish themselves. Restoration efforts--some successful, some halting--began in earnest in the late 20th century, with considerable attention focused on the Columbia Basin, where historically salmon runs were crippled by a large interconnected hydroelectric system of federal and non-federal dams. In the 1980 Northwest Power Act, Congress created an interstate agency, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, with access to a substantial amount of ratepayer dollars; the agency has chosen to expend those dollars principally for habitat rehabilitation and hatchery production. Generic federal laws like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act have provided some levers to modify dam operations to benefit fish and driven better protections for salmon throughout the Northwest. The relicensing requirements of the Federal Power Act, coupled with that law's fish protection provisions, have led to several notable dam removals. Significant restoration in Puget Sound watershed is underway due to a judicial decision finding that barrier road culverts violate treaty fishing rights, an interpretation that holds potential to foster salmon habitat improvement measures throughout the Northwest. Surveying events from Alaska's Bristol Bay in the north to the Klamath River along the Oregon-California border in the south, we explain how the law has--and must--play a key role in efforts to save salmon. Although the importance of particular laws varies from basin to basin--as does their effectiveness--some significant restoration is underway despite major unanswered questions such as the fate of the lower Snake River dams. The institution of tribal co-management programs, especially along the Oregon coast, provide an especially significant restoration tool if this development can be replicated across salmon country. The addition of tribal sovereigns into decision-making is likely to improve salmon protection and restoration wherever comanagement programs exist. Improved management will be a prerequisite if Pacific salmon are to recover in a climate-challenged world that threatens the existence of many runs. But to a large extent, restoring historic fish runs will require federal policies and leadership that have not always been present. As the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close, salmon saving efforts are proceeding on a variety of fronts with some promising results, but the future of many salmon runs is clouded by the threat of climate change and a national ambivalence to confronting its challenges with a muscular response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Murray Rothbard's "For a New Liberty," highlighting its early and influential contribution to libertarian philosophy. Rothbard systematically applies anarcho-capitalist principles to contemporary societal issues, notably addressing concerns regarding conservation, ecology, and population growth in contrast to mainstream political ideologies.

This document is an introduction to a special issue of the journal Plants on "Advances in Plant Reproductive Ecology and Conservation Biology." The special issue focuses on three main areas of research: population genetics, breeding systems, and ecology of common and rare plants. The papers in the special issue provide new insights into these themes using a variety of methods. The studies highlight the importance of understanding plant reproduction and ecology for successful conservation biology projects. The special issue includes research from various locations around the world, demonstrating the global significance of plant conservation. [Extracted from the article]

"The Corps of Discovery and America's Wild New World" is an article discussing the book "Wild New World: The Epic Story of Animals and People in America" by Dan Flores. The book explores the history of biodiversity and the impact of human activity on the environment, addressing the concept of human exceptionalism and cultural differences in human-animal interactions. It emphasizes the loss of species and genetic diversity caused by human actions, particularly the ongoing sixth extinction. The article also highlights the encounters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with various animals, providing insights into America's history and ecology. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and appreciating America's diverse wildlife and ecosystems, as well as the need for continued conservation efforts to protect species from extinction. [Extracted from the article]

December 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 1973 Endangered Species Act of the United States. This landmark Act by the US Congress was made possible through strong bipartisan political cooperation on environment protection, capping off a string of progressive legislative victories that would set the tone for US environmental policy at local, state, and federal government levels for decades. Beyond its domestic significance, the 1973 Endangered Species Act had a clear and recognizable impact on global environmentalism by influencing and inspiring endangered species legislation in other nations as well as the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity. At the time of its passage, the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) was far and away the most comprehensive piece of legislation ever enacted to halt and reverse rising rates of species extinction and biodiversity loss. Other nations emulated the ESA in past and present endangered species laws and regulations, even as late as 2019, leading to the eventual emergence of a set of global standard practices for species and habitat protections that endure to this day, practices with clear American roots. This study explores the degree to which the past and present endangered species laws of other English-speaking jurisdictions borrowed from or mimicked the US Endangered Species Act in purpose, style, form, and function. Further analysis is undertaken to reveal the extent to which Japan's own endangered species protection statute is likely influenced by the US ESA. The ESA's influence on global environmental norms and wildlife protection practices is first explored through the lens of international relations theory, in particular the 'constructivist' school of thought that helps explain recognized patterns in global environmental cooperation. The study demonstrates how the 1973 Endangered Species Act essentially became a template for other national and provincial governments to model and even mimic when these governments were designing and enacting their own endangered species management protection programs. Historically, the ESA's passage and its emulation by other polities are indicative of the degree to which the United States has impacted and continues to greatly impact and influence global wildlife law and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery" is a book by Diane Boyd that chronicles her experiences studying and documenting the recovery of wolves in northwestern Montana. The book provides a comprehensive account of Boyd's adventures, from her early days working with wolves in Minnesota to her time in Glacier National Park. It explores the challenges and controversies surrounding wolf recovery and offers insights into the behavior and ecology of these animals. The book is a valuable resource for those interested in wolves, wildlife biology, and women's studies. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the rise of ecological restoration in the United States, exploring its history, challenges, and potential. It highlights the complex relationship between ecological restoration and social values, politics, and historical injustices, particularly in relation to Indigenous people. The article also examines debates surrounding federal intervention in ecological restoration and draws connections between restoration efforts and atomic energy. While critical of certain aspects of ecological restoration, the article acknowledges its goals of habitat restoration and damage mitigation and suggests a path forward focused on justice and remediation. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the need for an additional listing-determination category under the United States' Endangered Species Act (ESA) in response to ongoing climate change. The ESA aims to protect and recover imperiled animal and plant species and their ecosystems. Currently, the ESA does not explicitly consider climate change in listing determinations. The article highlights the decline of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout population as an example of the challenges faced by species under climate change. The author suggests the inclusion of a new category that acknowledges the inefficacy of adaptation strategies for species in the face of climate change. [Extracted from the article]

The article examines the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to reconcile its obligations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). It discusses the conflicting roles of the EPA under FIFRA and the ESA, as well as the registration and cancellation process of pesticides under FIFRA. It analyzes the workplan released by the EPA in April 2022 aimed at improving the consultation process for pesticide registration.

Private lands are often critical for successful species conservation, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service has increasingly utilized voluntary Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs) as a strategy for promoting private land conservation. CCAAs, however, present a challenge where the FWS, with its history as a regulatory entity, must now engage landowners as conservation partners. There is a deep culture of distrust among landowners, who are often suspicious of engaging with the agency, making it necessary for the FWS to build trusting relationships. Furthermore, FWS decisions often face litigation in the courts, where they may be overturned. This creates a challenge for CCAAs, as the agency is pulled between landowner demands for greater flexibility and a court system that emphasizes rigid compliance to established rules and procedures. This study seeks to understand what factors influenced the flexibility of agency staff and officials as they navigate the process of negotiating CCAAs amidst these competing demands for accountability. Three cases of CCAA development are presented, each aiming to protect the habitat for the greater sage-grouse and ease the regulatory burden on ranching communities, should the grouse become a federally protected species. In addition to the well-documented need for trust-building and maintenance, the findings of the study highlight the importance of shared goals, the participation of trusted intermediary organizations, and as well as the meaningful support and investment of senior FWS leadership in exploring creative, innovative solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various populations of wolves have been listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since the 1970s. But no listed species has aroused, and continues to arouse, so much controversy as the Northern Gray wolf. "Wolf law" is unique, odd, and often counterproductive-at least if the goal is to ensure the species' survival and revitalize damaged ecosystems upon which healthy human communities depend. This Article identifies some of the unique characteristics of wolf law, analyzes how and why it has developed in this strange way, and proposes some more sensible ways for healthy human communities to coexist with healthy wolf communities. We analyze how politics and human needs-rather than the needs of the wolves-have driven the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's approach to wolf management, often to the detriment of the species it is legally obliged to protect. After reviewing the fundaments of the Endangered Species Act, we trace the history of Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolves and highlight the unique, controversial, and often unhelpful (at least if we wish to ensure the species' survival) ways the USFWS has managed the species. We illustrate the tensions between the clear statutory mandates of the ESA and the political pressures shaping wolf conservation around human wants. We outline some of the themes that set "wolf law" apart from the pack. Finally, we suggest a path forward to manage wolves in a sensible manner that better fulfills the needs of the species--and thus, inevitably, the needs of our own species-as the ESA requires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of the rising temperatures and the existing ‘emission gap’, climate change lawsuits have recently emerged as a new lever in order to step up compliance with international reduction targets. As of today, the majority of these strategic lawsuits are based upon tort law and human rights duties, which is evident given the major impact unhalted climate change on the immediate survival chances of future generations of humans. However, many terrestrial as well as marine ecosystems are already suffering from the global rise of temperatures, also in Europe. This article addresses the principal question as to whether within the specific context of the European Union, climate change litigation could not also use the 1992 Habitats Directive as an complementary instrument to mitigate future greenhouse gas emissions or at least prepare and adapt ecosystems for the inevitable impact of climate change. Using the recent courtroom experiences with the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 in the context of climate change-related lawsuits as a benchmark, this article argues that global warming will be an increasingly important factor when applying the conservation duties of the Habitats Directive in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecologists' destructive "World War III simulations" facilitated now-familiar models and theories that also "explicitly drew on and influenced metaphors of human society" (p. 132) while giving the impression of objective scientific knowledge. Martin explores how biologists used radioisotopes to breed wild species and study landscapes so as to plan for the post-disaster recovery of irradiated environments, which became widely known as "ecosystems" due to the strategies of influential ecologists such as the Odums. What does it mean to restore an endangered species or a degraded ecosystem back to the state of wildness, or at least to a less imperiled state?. [Extracted from the article]

Proactive Conservation is a paradigm of natural resource management in the United States that encourages voluntary, collaborative efforts to restore species before they need to be protected through government regulations. This paradigm is widely used to conserve at-risk species today, and when used in conjunction with the Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts (PECE), it allows for successful conservation actions to preclude listing of species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Despite the popularity of this paradigm, and recent flagship examples of its use (e.g., greater sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus), critical assessments of the outcomes of Proactive Conservation are lacking from the standpoint of species status and recovery metrics. Here, we provide such an evaluation, using the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis), heralded as a success of Proactive Conservation efforts in the northeastern United States, as a case study. We review the history and current status of the species, based on the state of the science, in the context of the Conservation Initiative, and the 2015 PECE decision not to the list the species under the ESA. In addition to the impacts of the PECE decision on the New England cottontail conservation specifically, our review also evaluates the benefits and limits of the Proactive Conservation paradigm more broadly, and we make recommendations for its role in relation to ESA implementation for the future of at-risk species management. We find that the status and assurances for recovery under the PECE policy, presented at the time of the New England cottontail listing decision, were overly optimistic, and the status of the species has worsened in subsequent years. We suggest that use of PECE to avoid listing may occur because of the perception of the ESA as a punitive law and a misconception that it is a failure, although very few listed species have gone extinct. Redefining recovery to decouple it from delisting and instead link it to probability of persistence under recommended conservation measures would remove some of the stigma of listing, and it would strengthen the role of Species Status Assessments in endangered species conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, the northern spotted owl has declined throughout the Pacific Northwest even though its habitat has been protected under the Endangered Species Act. The main culprit for this decline is the likely human-facilitated invasion of the barred owl. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service conducted an experiment in which they lethally removed the barred owls from selected areas in Washington, Oregon, and California. In those locations, the northern spotted owl populations have stabilized and increased. Some have argued that we should kill the barred owl to protect the northern spotted owl. In this essay, I argue that the competitive displacement of northern spotted owls by the barred owl should not be addressed by killing the later to save the former. The most powerful objection to this conclusion is that we will lose old-growth temperate rainforest without an indicator species like the spotted owl protected under the Endangered Species Act. In response, I argue that we should directly conserve old-growth temperate rainforest independent of the northern spotted owl. In effect, we need legislation and policies that protects endangered ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the strongest federal environmental statutes, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a powerful tool for environmental litigators to uphold the important conservation objectives articulated by Congress in 1973. In recent years, the role of “critical habitat” within the ESA has come into question. The Supreme Court decided in Weyerhaeuser that “critical habitat” must also qualify as “habitat,” but it failed to articulate any guidelines for determining what “habitat” actually is. This decision incited a regulatory tug-of-war over the proper definition of “habitat” within the ESA. This Comment explores the approaches to defining “habitat” employed by the Trump and Biden administrations. This Comment further argues that while Biden’s approach better effectuates the goals of the ESA, it is still a flawed interpretation of the Act because it allows the Secretary of the Interior to administer the ESA in such a way that is inconsistent with the Act’s separate goals of species survival and species recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity conservation policy in the United States, particularly as developed through the Endangered Species Act, has come to focus primarily on merely avoiding calamity. Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA prohibits federal agencies from carrying out, funding, or permitting actions that jeopardize threatened and endangered (listed) species, or destroy or adversely modify, their critical habitat. These prohibitions are among the ESA's most important protections, which Congress envisioned as creating an "emergency room" for vanishing species. However, improperly narrow agency interpretations undercut these protections' effectiveness, allowing continued adverse effects to both listed species and critical habitat so long as each incremental impact does not imperil the entire species or render ineffective an entire critical habitat reserve--a threshold almost never crossed. There is a better way. Federal agencies charged with administering section 7(a)(2) should instead focus on maintaining minimum survival thresholds and species' timely progress toward recovery in interpreting what it means to "jeopardize" listed species. These agencies should also embrace a "no net loss" approach to conservation of the physical and biological features of critical habitat that are essential to species' recovery. While far-reaching, these reforms require no amendments to the ESA itself, and only minor changes to regulations interpreting the law. Additionally, this approach to biodiversity conservation is consistent with both the vision of the Congress that passed the ESA and the language of the ESA itself and would significantly advance U.S. protections for its most imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. At the same time, these reforms would improve standards for management of protected areas in the U.S. and thus help fulfill President Biden's commitment to advancing biodiversity conservation and slowing climate change through protecting at least 30% of land and marine areas under U.S. jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the decline of the Texas shrimping industry and the impact of policy and regulation on the livelihoods of shrimpers. The researchers conducted interviews with shrimping communities and used mixed methods research to gain a deeper understanding of the issue. The interviews revealed that trust and communication are crucial in building relationships with natural resource users. The article emphasizes the importance of collaboration between shrimpers, Sea Grant agents, and researchers in adapting to regulations and finding solutions to challenges. The findings highlight the need for clear communication and participatory science and management programs to address the concerns of shrimpers and foster a sense of ownership and understanding. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on how the gray wolf was prematurely delisted, using a definition of "significant portion of the range" that violates the Endangered Species Act. It mentions de-listing was the culmination of nearly twenty years of advocacy on the part of conservative voters. It also mentions U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) did not use the best available science, and so exposed the wolf to hunters, trappers, and livestock owners.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the strongest source of federal protection for species that are at risk of extinction, and the ESA is becoming increasingly important as climate change threatens species and their habitats more than ever. In 2019, the Trump Administration amended the ESA to provide clarity and predictability when making decisions to list a species as threatened or endangered under the ESA. The Administration defined "foreseeable future" in a way that starkly limits how far into the future the listing agencies may look when assessing risks to species. Prior to the 2019 definition of "foreseeable future," the federal agencies in charge of deciding to list species under the ESA faced risk uncertainty when assessing the likelihood and magnitude of threats to species and their habitats from climate change predominantly because of scientific uncertainty and difficulty predicting mitigation efforts. This Note argues that instead of the 2019 amendments providing the intended clarity and consistency, the "foreseeable future" definition instead weakens the substantive standards used in the ESA listing process, limits federal agencies' ability to consider climate change when making decisions on whether to provide species with ESA protections, and ultimately will push climate-imperiled species further toward the risk of extinction. To provide more effective guidance to the agencies making listing decisions under the ESA, revised rulemaking should require the agencies to explain how they deal with uncertainties and species' risk of endangerment and to apply standards consistently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the need to repeal the critical habitat designation section of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and limit the application of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the ESA section to help avoid the extinction of the Florida Key deer amidst threats due to climate change. Also cited are how the sea level rise due to climate change is destroying the deer's habitats in Florida, and the need to save the Western Snowy Plover from sea level rise.

For decades, the public forests of the Pacific Northwest were subject to widespread clearcutting of their old-growth trees as part of a federal policy promoting industrial logging. That era came to an end in the early 1990s, due to court injunctions enforcing environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Forest Management Act, as a response to diminishing old-growth dependent species like the northern spotted owl. Fulfilling a campaign promise to resolue the contentious issue by protecting both wildlife habitat and a logging industry important to local communities, President Clinton and his administration conducted a remarkable 1993 symposium on the economics and science of preserving rapidly disappearing habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed species like the northern spotted owl and several salmonids. The result was the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (the NFP or the Plan), widely recognized as the largest commitment to ecosystem management worldwide. Somewhat surprisingly, the NFP is still in effect ouer a quarter-century later, despite determined efforts to euiscerate it. This Article examines the NFP, its antecedents, provisions, court interpretations, and future. In many respects, despite persistent controversy ouer the legal underpinnings of the NFP, the Plan has provided substantial protection for the Northwest's federal forests, and-although it did not end allpublic timber haruests-largely ended harvesting of public old-growth forests. Moreover, the Plan's aquatic protection strategy has proved quite effective and worthy of emulation elsewhere. A postscript to this Article considers the effect of the recent Biden Administration executive order concerning old-growth forests on the NFP. Although the Bush administration's repeated efforts to terminate the Plan failed, the Obama administration removed about ten percent of the federal forests subject to the Plan from its reach, substantially undermining its ecological premises. The courts have so far sustained these removals, casting a pall of uncertainty over efforts to update the NFP to reflect current challenges posed by witdfires and climate change. This Article suggests that the goals ofa revised NFP should be linked to the role that federal public Pacific Northwest forests can play in the U.S.' international obligations to combat climate change. We recommend a number of changes to the NFP, including ending both post-fire saluage sales and the logging of mature and old-growth forests. To accommodate these changes, we suggest providing a "just transition" for affected rural communities and increased flexibility concerning the boundaries of protective terrestrial reserues in the southern reaches of the Plan. We maintain that despite lingering uncertainty about its scope of coverage, the NFP can and should continue to provide the signature example of landscape planning worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]