Take Back Conservation

​Dave Foreman. (2012). Take Back Conservation. Durango, Co: Raven’s Eye Press. This work by the outspoken Foreman states the case for valuing wildlife for its own sake—not for the value that it can be employed to assist humans in their endeavors (this latter emphasis is what Foreman refers to as “resourcism.”) Foreman argues that it is dangerous to emphasize the “dollar worth of wild havens”—i.e., the instrumental value of wildlife.  He cites survey data to show that a large percentage of people even so-called conservative western states support the value of wildlife for non-consumption purposes.  He draws a sharp distinction between conservationists who focus on wildlife and “environmentalists” who focus on human interests even though he acknowledges they can, on occasion, cooperate. He talks a bit about the possible coalitions among wildlife conservationists, environmentalists, hunters and conservatives—pointing out that some important conservatives have sometimes supported conservation. However, Foreman’s work does not explain the political dynamics of wildlife such as how energy extraction and rancher interests dominate state (and often national) wildlife politics.  (Note: A major purpose of my book, Wildlife Politics, is to study the dynamics that do