Wildlife conservation in the United States has evolved through many phases, from restrictive laws of the 19th century to habitat restoration, regulatory approaches, and today's emphasis on public-private collaboration. This article traces that arc and makes the case for Conservation Without Conflict as the model best suited to meet the challenges of keeping common species common, supporting working lands, and reducing the litigation and conflict that has hobbled traditional regulatory approaches.
Writing for Boone and Crockett Club's Fair Chase magazine, John Organ highlights the formal CWC coalition and its diverse membership, spanning the National Association of Forest Owners, the Environmental Defense Fund, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The New England cottontail serves as a centerpiece example: a coalition-led, science-driven effort to restore early successional habitat resulted in a 2015 determination that ESA listing was not warranted, a direct outcome of proactive, incentive-based collaboration between public agencies and private landowners.
Read the full article on the Boone and Crockett Club website.
