Protecting Endangered Species in the United States Biological Needs, Political Realities, Economic Choices

About this book

This collection of original essays by economists, biologists and political scientists has a common theme: that protecting species at risk while safeguarding social order is a policy challenge that entangles biology, politics, and economics. Nearly 1200 species are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973; only twelve have been removed from the list. Attempts at species recovery on public and private property lead the authors to examine the political realities that define the debate: who should pay the costs and receive the benefits, and how interest group behaviour affects the nature of endangered species protection. Although the ESA directs administrative agencies to list and protect species following scientific priorities, the collection addresses the economic choices that still must be confronted. These range from the protection potential of private markets to the design of incentive schemes to encourage conservation by private landowners.

Paperbacl re-issue, originally published in 2001.

Contents

Foreword Norman Meyers; 1. The nature of endangered species Gregory D. Hayward, Jason F. Shogren and John Tschirhart; Part I. Biological Needs: 2. Endangered thought, political animals Boyd Gibbons; 3. A market solution for preserving biodiversity: the Black Rhino Gardner Brown and David Layton; 4. Extinction, recovery, and the Endangered Species Act Steven R. Beissinger and John Perrine; 5. On biological needs: comments on Gibbons, Brown and Layton, and Beissinger and Perrine Thomas Crocker; Replies by authors; Part II. Political Realities: 6. Interest group behavior and Endangered Species Protection Amy Whritenour Ando; 7. Beyond cute and fuzzy: science and politics in the US Endangered Species Act David Cash; 8. Community politics and Endangered Species protection Stephen M. Meyer; 9. On political realities: comments on Ando, Cash and Meyer Clifford Nowell; Replies by authors; Part III.1. Current Approaches: 10. The Endangered Species Act and critical habitat designation: an integrated biological and economic approach Gary Watts, William Noonan, Henry Maddux and David S. Brookshire; 11. The revealed demand for a public good: evidence from Endangered and Threatened Species Don Coursey; 12. The ESA through Coase-colored glasses Terry Anderson; 13. On current approaches: comments on Wattes, et al., Coursey and Anderson John Loomis; Replies by authors; Part III.2. Future Incentives: 14. The economics of 'takings' in a multi-parcel model with a powerful government Robert Innes; 15. Investment, information collection and Endangered Species conservation on private land Stephan Polasky; 16. Compensation schemes for Endangered Species protection Rodney B. W. Smith and Jason F. Shogren; 17. On future incentives: comments on Innes, Polasky, and Smith and Shorgen Rob Godby; Replies by authors; Part IV. Summary and Database: 18. Why economics matters for endangered species protection Jason F. Shogren and John Tschirhart et al.; 19. The database on the economics and management of endangered species (DEMES) David Cash, Andrew Metrick, Todd Schatzki and Martin Weitzman; Index.

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