The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 232 pages
• Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press March 12, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0801865042
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0801865046
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 12.3 ounces

Product Review
"Czech and Krausman are effective and original scholars. The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy is both a treatise on policy assessment and an great history, assessment, and discussion of the ESA itself. Those interested in natural resources policy and those interested specifically in the ESA will want to read this book." -- —Jack Ward Thomas, The University of Montana, Chief Emeritus, U.S. Forest Service

Product Review


"This book is concisely written and reads easily, uniquely covers the social and political contexts of the ESA [and] provides insight into the controversies surrounding [it] It provokes thoughtful consideration of the ESA, it logically organizes ESA issues, and it boldy recommends improvements." -- K. Shawn Smallwood, Environmental Conservation



"Interesting for anyone concerned about the preservation of species and, more generally, the global environment a good explanation of the statute, a wonderful and often entertaining description of how we view and rank nonhuman species, and a provocative critique of the very policy analytic framework the authors have employed." -- Joseph F. C. DiMento, Environment



"This book looks at many different aspects of the ESA and would be of interst to anyone concerned with the ESA." -- American Fisheries Society



"The Endangered Species Act provides plenty of insight, a fresh policy model, and a new perspective on the ESA that shoudl attract and challenge historians, envronmentalists, and policy makers." -- Dr. Jason Krupar, Environmental History

Reader Reviews
I bought this slim, solidly-produced paperback because of its subject - one of the most important U.S. environmental laws, and authoritative subtitle: "History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy". The preface by senior author, Czech, lets us know that this book started life as his PhD dissertation at the University of Arizona in 1997: "The Endangered Species Act, American Democracy, and an Omnibus Role for Public Policy". Coauthor Paul Krausman, a senior professor at the University of Arizona School of Natural Resources, was his major advisor. A policy dissertation on such a complex and controversial law (300 or more pages long) would have surely been impossible had Czech not already been an experienced conservation biologist and manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arizona - when he got intrigued with wildlife policy. Czech mentions that "Paul and I decided to convert my dissertation into something more reader friendly". I suggest that while Czech and Krausman are clearly experts regarding this law and its subject area, the book is not likely to be considered user friendly by persons other than academic policy specialists. The authors write clearly and even colorfully at times. At other times they forget and drop in unexplained scientific or political science terminology(e.g. "haploid set of chromosomes"). Much of the book concerns policy design analysis. This can become especially abstruse when it launches into complex, social-science laden academese like the below example: "Pluralism, policy sciences, public choice theory, and critical theory have produced analyses characterized by a lack of normative content, preoccupation with reductionist methods, illogical optimism in a free market, and little practical application, respectively." As a policy researcher, myself, I was hoping that "History" would include information on how and by whom ESA was written, and something about debates that may have gone on during committee hearings. Unfortunately, though a brief summary of earlier laws, (generically dismissed as "toothless") is given, we learn little more about legislative history of ESA itself beyond the fact that the 1973 law was first sponsored by Representative John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, passed by overwhelming margins by Congress, and signed by President Richard Nixon. The authors have strong preservationist and political views. The treatment would have benefited from a leavening of pros and cons, or alternative opinion. But where other views or stakeholders are mentioned it is often only in dismissive terms, e.g. "By definition, a degenerative subset of wealthy contenders strategize and hide agendas when ESA stands in the way of profits" The authors offer some 13 recommendations for change in the ESA law, all of which would apparently toughen the law and its penalties. In fact, the authors come right out and say that policymakers should replace incentives for economic growth by barriers to economic growth in society generally. They seem unaware that such attitudes can breed antagonism and hostility in those who aren't supported by Federal government or academic positions. This, in turn, may reduce cooperation and limit funding for enforcement - which they regard as too low. In the view of author Daniel Fiorino, heavy-handed policy approaches that limit innovation are now outdated. European models that emphasize cooperation have in many cases left the U.S. behind. I do value the treatment as an example of an end member perspective on wildlife policy.