Species at Risk : Using Economic Incentives to Shelter Endangered Species on Private Lands

Protecting endangered species of animals and plants is a goal that almost everyone supports in principle - but in practice private landowners have often opposed the regulations of the Endangered Species Act, which, they argue, unfairly limits their right to profit from their property. To encourage private landowners to cooperate voluntarily in species conservation and to mitigate the economic burden of doing so, the government and nonprofit land trusts have created a number of incentive programs, including conservation easements, leases, habitat banking, habitat conservation planning, safe harbors, candidate conservation agreements, and the 'no surprise' policy.In this book, lawyers, economists, political scientists, historians, and zoologists come together to assess the challenges and opportunities for using economic incentives as compensation for protecting species at risk on private property. They examine current programs to see how well they are working and also offer ideas for how these programs could be more successful. Their ultimate goal is to better understand how economic incentive schemes can be made both more cost-effective and more socially acceptable, while respecting a wide range of views regarding opportunity costs, legal standing, biological effectiveness, moral appropriateness, and social context. Publisher's Description: This Book Presents The Most Comprehensive Discussion Of The Economics And Practicalities Of Incentive Instruments That Could Be Used For Endangered And Threatened Species Conservation. I Believe The Book Will Have Broad Appeal To Lawyers, Biologists, Economists, And Others Working In The Field Of Endangered Species, As Well As To General Readers With An Interest In Conservation. --j. B. Ruhl, Florida State University, Author Of The Law Of Biodiversity And Ecosystem Management. Protecting Endangered Species Of Animals And Plants Is A Goal That Almost Everyone Supports In Principle--but In Practice Private Landowners Have Often Opposed The Regulations Of The Endangered Species Act, Which, They Argue, Unfairly Limits Their Right To Profit From Their Property. To Encourage Private Landowners To Cooperate Voluntarily In Species Conservation And To Mitigate The Economic Burden Of Doing So, The Government And Nonprofit Land Trusts Have Created A Number Of Incentive Programs, Including Conservation Easements, Leases, Habitat Banking, Habitat Conservation Planning, Safe Harbors, Candidate Conservation Agreements, And The No Surprise Policy. In This Book, Lawyers, Economists, Political Scientists, Historians, And Zoologists Come Together To Assess The Challenges And Opportunities For Using Economic Incentives As Compensation For Protecting Species At Risk On Private Property. They Examine Current Programs To See How Well They Are Working And Also Offer Ideas For How These Programs Could Be More Successful. Their Ultimate Goal Is To Better Understand How Economic Incentive Schemes Can Be Made Both More Cost-effective And More Socially Acceptable, While Respecting A Wide Range Of Views Regarding Opportunity Costs, Legal Standing, Biological Effectiveness, Moral Appropriateness, And Social Context. Current And Proposed Incentive Options For Species Protection On Private Lands. The Endangered Species Act And Its Current Set Of Incentive Tools For Species Protection / Debra Donahue ; An Economic Review Of Incentive Mechanisms To Protect Species On Private Lands / Gregory M. Parkhurst And Jason F. Shogren -- Challenges To Using Economic Incentives For Species Protection. Endangered Species Protection And Ways Of Life : Beyond Economy And Ecology / Frieda Knobloch And R. Mcgreggor Cawley ; A Critical Examination Of Economic Incentives To Promote Conservation / Debra Donahue ; Appraising The Conservation Value Of Private Lands / Steve W. Buskirk And Samantha M. Wisely ; Markets For Conserving Biodiversity Habitat : Principles And Practice / Thomas D. Crocker ; The Role Of Private Information In Designing Conservation Incentives For Property Owners / Jason F. Shogren, Rodney B.w. Smith, And John Tschirhart -- Economic Incentives For Esa Reauthorization. Evaluating The Incentive Tools / Gregory M. Parkhurst And Jason F. Shogren. Edited By Jason F. Shogren. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 029270576X......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 CHAPTER 1. Introduction, by Jason F. Shogren......Page 14 PART I. CURRENT AND PROPOSED INCENTIVE OPTIONS FOR SPECIES PROTECTION ON PRIVATE LANDS......Page 36 CHAPTER 2. The Endangered Species Act and Its Current Set of Incentive Tools for Species Protection, by Debra Donahue......Page 38 CHAPTER 3. An Economic Review of Incentive Mechanisms to Protect Species on Private Lands, by Gregory M. Parkhurst and Jason F. Shogren......Page 78 PART II. CHALLENGES TO USING ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR SPECIES PROTECTION......Page 142 CHAPTER 4. Endangered Species Protection and Ways of Life: Beyond Economy and Ecology, by Frieda Knobloch and R. McGreggor Cawley......Page 144 CHAPTER 5. A Critical Examination of Economic Incentives to Promote Conservation, by Debra Donahue......Page 160 CHAPTER 6. Appraising the Conservation Value of Private Lands, by Steven W. Buskirk and Samantha M. Wisely......Page 186 CHAPTER 7. Markets for Conserving Biodiversity Habitat: Principles and Practice, by Thomas D. Crocker......Page 204 CHAPTER 8. The Role of Private Information in Designing Conservation Incentives for Property Owners, by Jason F. Shogren, Rodney B. W. Smith, and John Tschirhart......Page 230 PART III. ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR ESA REAUTHORIZATION......Page 246 CHAPTER 9. Evaluating the Incentive Tools, by Gregory M. Parkhurst and Jason F. Shogren......Page 248 About the Authors......Page 270 Index......Page 272