Setting Priorities for Land Conservation (1993) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-14
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
[Former Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus.] it is difficult to compare the relative value of expanding a wildlife refuge in the Florida Keys with the addition of acreage to an urban park near San Francisco, just as it is difficult to compare the value of supplementing federal holdings in the Sequoia National Park with the purchase of land next to the Antietam battlefield.
|
From page 2... ...
In response, the National Research Council appointed the Committee on Scientific and Technical Criteria for Federal Acquisition of Lands for Conservation. The committee was asked specifically · To review criteria and procedures by which NPS, BEM, USES, and USFWS acquire lands for conservation; · To assess the historic, public policy, and scientific bases of [and acquisition criteria and compare them with nongovernmental organ~zations; · To assess the effectiveness of Me four federal agencies in preserving natural resources while achieving mandated public policy objectives of the agencies; · To evaluate the extent to which agencies use objective methods, scientific knowledge, and systematic criteria in making their recommendations for acquiring conservation lands.
|
From page 3... ...
Thus, Be committee needed to examine Be various factors Cat make up land-acquisition policies and form the basis for Be agencies' criteria. The committee concluded that workable criteria should · Be consistent with agency missions; · Contribute to achieving sustainability of renewable-resource bases, including biological and cultural diversity; · Provide the basis for long-term planning, as well as Be flexibility to take advantage of unexpected opportunities for land protection; · Be feasible to administer and apply in a consistent manner; · Respond to changing scientific knowledge, social values, policy, and public input; · Clarify the significance of Be proposed acquisition based on objective scientific and technical information; · Distinguish among competing conservation values; Identify Be distribution of social costs and benefits Cat would result; · Be continually re-evaluated for performance and experience gained in Weir use.
|
From page 4... ...
Conservation, including human needs, cannot be achieved through land acquisition alone. Scientific Bases for Conservation Biological criteria for land acquisition have evolved with increasing understanding, from saving isolated areas for scientific observation to protecting biological diversity and Be functioning of ecosystems and landscapes.
|
From page 5... ...
Thus, integrated and complementary approaches are needed to identify critical unprotected areas, to connect fragmented and isolated habitats under Be jurisdiction of separate agencies, and to meet a diversity of conservation needs, such as public access or wildlife migration. Making connections between lands, across agencies, and through planning is an important generic strategy.
|
From page 6... ...
CURRENT CRITERIA National Park Service acquisitions can occur only within the boundaries of units authorized by Congress. Key considerations used to establish NPS acquisition priorities within individual park units are the primary purpose of the unit, land price escalation, legislative history, imminent threats, and protection of the unit.
|
From page 7... ...
Key objectives for recreation are to provide a diversity of recreational opportunities, provide resource~ependent recreational opportunities, manage and monitor essential resources, use land ownership and access to enhance recreational opportunities, and contribute to local economies by cooperating with tourism groups. To rank acquisition priorities for overall EWCF appropriations, the Office of Management and Budget created a system that incorporates some aspects of NPS, SLUM, USES, and USFWS criteria, while emphas~zing Me administration's priorities, such as recreational opportunities near urban areas arid wetlands protection.
|
From page 8... ...
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The most successful acquisition criteria focus on specific purposes and well-understood policy goals, such as Me USFWS criteria for migratory bird habitat or TNC criteria, which are based primarily on the goal of protecting biological diversity. By contrast, the OMB Land Acquisition Priority Procedure HAPPY criteria lump the funding requests of several agencies into a single priority list submitted to Congress.
|
From page 9... ...
Over categories may be needed, especially where Congress has designated portions of the federal lands for specific purposes, such as to protect specific kinds of resources, including wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and historic and archeological sites. The criteria for conservation-land acquisition should be expanded to include landscape pattern analysis.
|
From page 10... ...
When feasible, social impact analysis should be used. Federal acquisition criteria should distinguish nationalfrom state arm local criteria for outdoor recreation aru]
|
From page 11... ...
Agencies should continue to take advantage of the ability of the rzonprofit organizations to act swiftly to secure properties until an agency can acquire them. This can be done while ensuring Mat federal acquisition priorities guide the process and that the specifics of the transactions be in accordance wig federal guidelines that control dealing with nonprof~t organizations.
|
From page 13... ...
Setting Priorities for Land Conservation
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.