Discussion Questions: Chapter One: An Introduction to Wildlife Politics
- The argument has made that partisan politics does not necessarily dominate wildlife conservation politics. Study the positions by congressional representatives and senators as well as state house and senate representatives with which you are familiar. Report on the positions taken by them concerning wildlife conservation—is there a partisan divide in your state? What, if any, consistent differences exist between Republican and Democratic parties on these issues?
- Study elections in your state and identify what, if any, issues concerning wildlife have become salient topics in politics. What species were involved? What positions did politicians take on these issues? What was the outcome for wildlife conservation?
- Research a particular species of your choice and identify what the status of the species currently is. According to evidence, is the status of the species improving, deteriorating, or status quo? What forces are acting that are harmful to the species? What conservation measures are being taken to support the species?
- This author contends that a large portion of humanity hold “intense” feelings about wildlife. Do you agree with this point? What wildlife, if any, do you feel strongly about and are your feeling positive or negative about these species?
- There is evidence that humanity through population growth and associated development including building of roads and domination of “rich” environments in terms of water and productive land has meant that wildlife are relegated to unproductive environments. Do you agree? What areas in your state and region have been set aside for wildlife? What kind of access do wildlife have to riparian areas? Has the construction of roads affected wildlife in your state? Can the interests of wildlife be maintained with the growth of population and its associated development? If so, how? What measures should be taken to protect biodiversity?
- What are your attitudes towards wildlife that pose threasts or nuisances to humans whether these be predators like wolves and grizzlies, as well as potential "nuisance" species such as deer, beaver, or insects? How do your attitudes compare with others? Do you think people in your state or region are experiencing a change in their tolerance for wildlife? If so, is it increasing or decreasing in acceptance of wildlife?
- Are you generally supportive of the Endangered Species Act? Do you believe that it needs change? If so, what changes do believe are necessary—strengthening protection for biodiversity or lessening negative impacts of the ESA on affected interests such as landowners, developers, ranchers, and extractive industries?
- There is a debate between those who believe that protection of biodiversity must continue to depend on government protections such as restrictions of the ESA and protected areas for wildlife versus those who believe that more emphasis should be placed on providing market incentives to landowners and others affected by wildlife. Which position do you tend to support?
- Interest groups can play a major role on both sides of controversies over wildlife. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and the Audubon Society, and animal rights organizations have played active roles in wildlife issues. Groups representing landowners, ranchers, and hunters-anglers have also acted to represent and protect their interests. Identify an interest group that has participated in policy issues concerning wildlife and determine what steps they took to advance their interest. What was the outcome?
- Study policymaking concerning wildlife issues in your state. Who runs the state agency that “manages” wildlife? What policymaking bodies (e.g., boards and/or commissions) play a role in making decisions about wildlife? What interest groups are active participants in making state wildlife policy? What are the sources of revenue for the state agency? What groups or values do you think are dominant in the agency? What role does the governor and state legislature play in wildlife policymaking?
- What assumptions does the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) make about how the policymaking process works? What, if anything, can lead to change according to the ACF?
- Traditional interest group theory assumed that interest groups represent the economic interests of its members. How well does this assumption apply to the wildlife conservation policy area? Explain.
- Study the actions and behavior of some organization involved in wildlife conservation—it could be Federal (e.g., the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park System) or state and local. What “constituencies” does this agency serve? Which constituencies, consumptive or non-consumptive, exert dominant influence over its actions? Has the agency had to back down after taking a policy position? If so, why?
- What role do you think Federalism should play in policymaking about endangered species? Do you think that the Federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should primarily make decisions such as to designate a species as “endangered” or “threatened” with attendant protections or do you believe that states should have more power (e.g., the right to veto protections for such species)? Why? Make your case.
- What role, if any, have elections had on wildlife policymaking for your state?
- After you have read about the controversy between “new” and traditional “conservationists,” take a position—which group’s positions seem more persuasive to you? Why?
- Chapter One outlines some forces that constrain the ability of governments to maintain or improve biodiversity of wildlife. What are these forces? Which do you believe to be the most important? How, if at all, can these constraints be overcome in order to protect and strengthen wildlife biodiversity? Discuss.