Integration of Conservation Science and Policy

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Chapter 17

• Integration of Conservation Science and Policy

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Science ? Policy

• Science the ologies
• Policy laws, regulations, guidelines
• Good efforts in one area do not guarantee sound
  incorporation in the other
• Effective conservation means good science AND
  good policy

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Translational Scientists

• A conservation scientist trained in the sciences
  that can translate scientific terms into policy
  terms
• This communication needs to take place in both
  directions
• Scientists need to come out of the field
• Policy makers need to come out of DC

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separated by a common language

• Science allows for multiple answers to the same
  question simultaneously
• Scientists highly focused
• Policy attempts to achieve one most
  cost-effective, parsimonious solution
• Policy makers must maintain knowledge in variety
  of areas

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Conservation Policy

• Focuses on regulation of human activities that
  affect biodiversity, habitats, and humans
• Includes
• Environmental laws
• Agency regulation
• Local/organizational policy

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Environmental Laws

• Regulatory strategies enacted for environmental
  protection purposes
• Only accepted by government
• Changed only by government action

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Agency Regulations

• A type of environmental law
• Regulations are rules of certain activities
  carried out by agencies to ensure compliance with
  laws
• Changes in regulations occur more frequently and
  without government action

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Local/Organizational Policy

• Broadly defined as the way society tries to
  protect the environment
• May add to existing laws/regulations
• NGOs utilize policy statements
• Position papers can advocate for policy
• Policy briefs provide professional insight to
  be utilized by policymakers

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Sources for Policy

• Where do the policymakers gofor information?

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Best available science

• Science peer-review
• Policy Panel of experts?

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Uncertainty and risks

• In science, lack of data requires additional
  investigation
• In conservation, additional investigation is not
  always possible (crisis discipline)
• For policy, conservation scientists can
• Articulate what we do and dont know
• Characterize outcomes in terms of likelihood
• Bayesian statistics and other inference methods