Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

the act allows for economic concerns. By law, a decisionto list a species must be based solely on science. Butonce a species is listed, economic considerations can beweighed against species protection in protecting criticalhabitat and designing and implementing recoveryplans. Also, private lands designated as critical habitatsare not affected by the ESA unless the landownerplans an action that requires a federal permit.Furthermore, the act authorizes a special cabinetlevelpanel, nicknamed the “God Squad,” to exemptany federal project from having to comply with the actif the economic costs are too high.Finally, the act allows the government to issue permitsand exemptions to landowners with listed speciesliving on their property and use habitat conservationplans, safe harbor agreements, and candidate conservationagreements to bargain with private landowners.A study by the U.S. National Academy of Sciencesrecommended three major changes to make the ESAmore scientifically sound and effective.■ Greatly increase the meager funding for implementingthe act.■ Develop recovery plans more quickly.■ When a species is first listed, establish a core of itssurvival habitat as a temporary emergency measurethat could support the species for 25–50 years.Some suggest concentrating limited ESA funds onprotecting species that have the best chances of survivingand that play important ecological and economicroles. Some say this is unethical because all speciesshould have a right to exist. But proponents argue thatbecause of limited funding we are already decidingwhich species to save and that this is a better use oflimited funds. What do you think?Most biologists and wildlife conservationists believethe United States should modify the act to emphasizeprotecting and sustaining biological diversityand ecological functioning rather than attempting tosave individual species. This new ecosystems approachwould follow three principles:■ Find out what species and ecosystems the countryhas.■ Locate and protect the most endangered ecosystemsand species within such systems.■ Put more emphasis on preventing species frombecoming threatened and ecosystems from becomingdegraded.■ Provide private landowners who agree to help protectendangered ecosystems with significant financialincentives (tax breaks, write-offs) and technical help.xHOW WOULD YOU VOTE? Should the Endangered SpeciesAct be modified to protect the nation’s overall biodiversity?Cast your vote online at http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14.12-8 PROTECTING WILD SPECIES:THE SANCTUARY APPROACHWhat Is the Role of Wildlife Refuges andOther Protected Areas? Protect the Homesof Species in TroubleThe United States has set aside 542 federal refugesfor wildlife, but many refuges are suffering fromenvironmental degradation.In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established thefirst U.S. federal wildlife refuge at Pelican Island,Florida. Since then the National Wildlife RefugeSystem has grown to 542 refuges. Since 1995 visits tonational parks have leveled off while those to wildliferefuges have almost doubled. More than 35 millionAmericans visit these refuges each year to hunt, fish,hike, or watch birds and other wildlife.More than three-fourths of the refuges are concentratedalong major bird migration corridors or flyways(Figure 12-15, p. 246). They serve as vital wetland sanctuariesfor protecting millions of migratory waterfowlas they journey north and south each year to find food,suitable climate, and other conditions necessary forreproduction.About one-fifth of U.S. endangered and threatenedspecies have habitats in the refuge system, andsome refuges have been set aside for specific endangeredspecies. These have helped Florida’s key deer,the brown pelican, and the trumpeter swan to recover.Conservation biologists call for setting aside morerefuges to help protect endangered plants. They alsourge Congress and state legislatures to allow abandonedmilitary lands that contain significant wildlifehabitat to become national or state wildlife refuges.Bad news. According to a General Accounting Officestudy, activities considered harmful to wildlife occurin nearly 60% of the nation’s wildlife refuges. A2002 study by the National Wildlife Refuge Associationfound that invasions by nonnative species arewreaking havoc on many of the nation’s wildliferefuges. Also, too much hunting and fishing and use ofpowerboats and off-road vehicles can take their toll onwildlife populations in heavily used refuges.Can Gene Banks, Botanical Gardens,and Farms Help Save Most EndangeredPlant Species? Important but LimitedSolutionsEstablishing gene banks and botanical gardensand using farms to raise threatened species can helpprotect species from extinction, but these options lackfunding and storage space.Gene or seed banks preserve genetic information and endangeredplant species by storing their seeds in refrigerated,low-humidity environments. The world’s morehttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14245