Vernon Reynolds
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198515463
- eISBN:
- 9780191705656
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515463.003.0011
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
The local human population around Budongo is increasing rapidly. The natural doubling rate of the population is 25 years, added to which is the near-continuous immigration from people looking for ...
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The local human population around Budongo is increasing rapidly. The natural doubling rate of the population is 25 years, added to which is the near-continuous immigration from people looking for work, mainly at the local sugarworks. The population, traditionally Banyoro people, consists today of many tribes including some from neighbouring Congo. Immigrants encroach the forest, exploit its resources, hunt for meat, and can spread diseases to the chimpanzees. Crops are planted up to the forest edge, resulting in increased crop-raiding by chimpanzees and other species. This has caused a change in attitudes towards these apes from positive to negative in some places.Less
The local human population around Budongo is increasing rapidly. The natural doubling rate of the population is 25 years, added to which is the near-continuous immigration from people looking for work, mainly at the local sugarworks. The population, traditionally Banyoro people, consists today of many tribes including some from neighbouring Congo. Immigrants encroach the forest, exploit its resources, hunt for meat, and can spread diseases to the chimpanzees. Crops are planted up to the forest edge, resulting in increased crop-raiding by chimpanzees and other species. This has caused a change in attitudes towards these apes from positive to negative in some places.
Chris Kelly
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
The 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, is a coastal redwood/Douglas fir forest owned by The Conservation Fund (TCF), a national nonprofit organization that ...
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The 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, is a coastal redwood/Douglas fir forest owned by The Conservation Fund (TCF), a national nonprofit organization that engages in land conservation projects that balance ecological and economic goals and addresses the priorities of the local organizations with whom it partners. TCF purchased the forest in 2004 from industrial timber companies using public and private grants, a conservation easement, and donations. The forest is now managed for continued—but now ecologically sensitive—selective timber harvesting; 35% of the forest has been set aside as an ecologic reserve network. The forest is also California’s first working forest to be managed for producing carbon offsets for the voluntary carbon market; more than 77,000 tons of carbon emissions are being offset annually and the sale of offset credits has doubled net revenues from the forest.Less
The 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, is a coastal redwood/Douglas fir forest owned by The Conservation Fund (TCF), a national nonprofit organization that engages in land conservation projects that balance ecological and economic goals and addresses the priorities of the local organizations with whom it partners. TCF purchased the forest in 2004 from industrial timber companies using public and private grants, a conservation easement, and donations. The forest is now managed for continued—but now ecologically sensitive—selective timber harvesting; 35% of the forest has been set aside as an ecologic reserve network. The forest is also California’s first working forest to be managed for producing carbon offsets for the voluntary carbon market; more than 77,000 tons of carbon emissions are being offset annually and the sale of offset credits has doubled net revenues from the forest.
Susan Charnley, Thomas E. Sheridan, and Gary P. Nabhan (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
Contradictory land management policies dating to the mid-19th century resulted in today’s patchwork of public, private, and tribal land ownership and land use in the American West. Such boundaries ...
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Contradictory land management policies dating to the mid-19th century resulted in today’s patchwork of public, private, and tribal land ownership and land use in the American West. Such boundaries create challenges for maintaining undeveloped, ecologically healthy working landscapes such as forests and ranchlands. Resource agencies, people who make their living off the land, environmentalists, developers, and recreationists frequently find themselves at odds over land-management decisions. However a movement toward collaborative conservation has resulted in communities working together to find solutions that respect all the parties involved. Policies and programs such as conservation easements and estate taxes can help or hurt efforts to conserve and maintain working landscapes and their biodiversity, and developing concepts, such as payments for ecosystem services, show promise as the basis for new policies. Numerous case histories illustrate how individual communities have approached their particular challenges of protecting forest lands and ranches to sustain their ability to support the local economy while also protecting the environmental resources. Implementing a variety of approaches for land conservation and economic sustainability, with flexibility to modify them, improves the likelihood of success. As well, local involvement, inclusion of all parties in decision-making, long-term commitments by agency personnel, and willingness to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances contribute to the movement that is stitching the West back together.Less
Contradictory land management policies dating to the mid-19th century resulted in today’s patchwork of public, private, and tribal land ownership and land use in the American West. Such boundaries create challenges for maintaining undeveloped, ecologically healthy working landscapes such as forests and ranchlands. Resource agencies, people who make their living off the land, environmentalists, developers, and recreationists frequently find themselves at odds over land-management decisions. However a movement toward collaborative conservation has resulted in communities working together to find solutions that respect all the parties involved. Policies and programs such as conservation easements and estate taxes can help or hurt efforts to conserve and maintain working landscapes and their biodiversity, and developing concepts, such as payments for ecosystem services, show promise as the basis for new policies. Numerous case histories illustrate how individual communities have approached their particular challenges of protecting forest lands and ranches to sustain their ability to support the local economy while also protecting the environmental resources. Implementing a variety of approaches for land conservation and economic sustainability, with flexibility to modify them, improves the likelihood of success. As well, local involvement, inclusion of all parties in decision-making, long-term commitments by agency personnel, and willingness to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances contribute to the movement that is stitching the West back together.
Thomas E. Sheridan, Andrew Reeves, and Susan Charnley
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.003.0022
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
The estate tax, or “death tax,” is often attributed to the demise of large ranches and nonindustrial private forests under the premise that the taxes owed by those who inherit the property are ...
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The estate tax, or “death tax,” is often attributed to the demise of large ranches and nonindustrial private forests under the premise that the taxes owed by those who inherit the property are unaffordable, forcing the descendants to sell or subdivide the property. This situation arises when land is highly valued as a real estate investment, even if those making a living off it—and preserving its ecological value—are barely able to make a profit, let alone pay a large tax bill. A 2008 Tax Policy Center report claimed that only a small percentage of family farms and ranches have sufficient assets to evoke the estate tax. However, it overlooks the fact that the average size of western ranches and forest holdings is larger than in the East, and loss of just a few working landscapes may promote fragmentation of ecosystems and conservation efforts more than provide economic equity.Less
The estate tax, or “death tax,” is often attributed to the demise of large ranches and nonindustrial private forests under the premise that the taxes owed by those who inherit the property are unaffordable, forcing the descendants to sell or subdivide the property. This situation arises when land is highly valued as a real estate investment, even if those making a living off it—and preserving its ecological value—are barely able to make a profit, let alone pay a large tax bill. A 2008 Tax Policy Center report claimed that only a small percentage of family farms and ranches have sufficient assets to evoke the estate tax. However, it overlooks the fact that the average size of western ranches and forest holdings is larger than in the East, and loss of just a few working landscapes may promote fragmentation of ecosystems and conservation efforts more than provide economic equity.
Thomas E. Sheridan, Gary P. Nabhan, and Susan Charnley
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.003.0025
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
Several principles to guide successful conservation and restoration of working landscapes arise from the case studies in this book. Long-term, dynamic partnerships that engage in collaboration rather ...
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Several principles to guide successful conservation and restoration of working landscapes arise from the case studies in this book. Long-term, dynamic partnerships that engage in collaboration rather than confrontation are key to achieving meaningful change in the management of western ranch lands and forests. Management activities must cross ownership boundaries and include both public and private lands—which are economically and ecologically interdependent—to successfully conserve large areas. Openness to adaptive management, innovation, and flexibility is needed among participating institutions and policies. Incorporating and even prioritizing local knowledge and workforces improves project outcomes. The most successful working landscapes produce a diversity of commodities and services, and likewise incorporate a variety of conservation approaches in their operations. Long-term commitments by individuals within partner agencies and organizations foster more sound management decisions and policies. Rural communities that create allies among urban and exurban communities are rewarded with greater clout in influencing management policy.Less
Several principles to guide successful conservation and restoration of working landscapes arise from the case studies in this book. Long-term, dynamic partnerships that engage in collaboration rather than confrontation are key to achieving meaningful change in the management of western ranch lands and forests. Management activities must cross ownership boundaries and include both public and private lands—which are economically and ecologically interdependent—to successfully conserve large areas. Openness to adaptive management, innovation, and flexibility is needed among participating institutions and policies. Incorporating and even prioritizing local knowledge and workforces improves project outcomes. The most successful working landscapes produce a diversity of commodities and services, and likewise incorporate a variety of conservation approaches in their operations. Long-term commitments by individuals within partner agencies and organizations foster more sound management decisions and policies. Rural communities that create allies among urban and exurban communities are rewarded with greater clout in influencing management policy.
Thomas E. Sheridan and Nathan F. Sayre
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
Western forests and rangelands provide diverse products for consumers, but their future productivity is becoming increasingly threatened. Western timber harvesting dropped by 60% over the last two ...
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Western forests and rangelands provide diverse products for consumers, but their future productivity is becoming increasingly threatened. Western timber harvesting dropped by 60% over the last two decades while recreational use of federal lands has increased dramatically. A 42% drop in forest products employment has severely impacted nearby communities. Western working rangelands support one-fifth of the cattle and half the sheep in the U.S. The number of cattle has remained fairly stable over the past two decades while sheep have dropped by about half. Ranching typically operates from a core of private land using grazing allotments on adjacent public land; pressure from environmental and recreational interests to reduce grazing on public lands thus threatens ranching operations. Private forests and ranchlands both are increasingly being divided into smaller parcels, often for development. The resulting increase in number of owners and diversity of uses fragments habitats and threatens biodiversity.Less
Western forests and rangelands provide diverse products for consumers, but their future productivity is becoming increasingly threatened. Western timber harvesting dropped by 60% over the last two decades while recreational use of federal lands has increased dramatically. A 42% drop in forest products employment has severely impacted nearby communities. Western working rangelands support one-fifth of the cattle and half the sheep in the U.S. The number of cattle has remained fairly stable over the past two decades while sheep have dropped by about half. Ranching typically operates from a core of private land using grazing allotments on adjacent public land; pressure from environmental and recreational interests to reduce grazing on public lands thus threatens ranching operations. Private forests and ranchlands both are increasingly being divided into smaller parcels, often for development. The resulting increase in number of owners and diversity of uses fragments habitats and threatens biodiversity.
Gary P. Nabhan, Carrie Balkcom, and Amanda D. Webb
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
In recent decades, declining ranching economies have returned fewer food dollars to producers. Ranchers have fewer assets with which to invest in the long-term protection of their land, and many have ...
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In recent decades, declining ranching economies have returned fewer food dollars to producers. Ranchers have fewer assets with which to invest in the long-term protection of their land, and many have sold their property for development. Beginning in the 21st century, some ranchers turned to the emerging niche market of grass-fed and grass-finished beef. While the definition of these terms is imprecise and benefits somewhat debatable, consumers have embraced the commodity and by 2010, certified grass-fed beef sold for three times the price of grain-fed beef. Farmers benefit by receiving a greater proportion of the consumer dollar spent on meat, and less impact on their land. Thus, not only do ranchers gain more income during an era when production costs are rising and profit margins thinning, but the protocols associated with certified grass-fed production are consistent with the ethics of valuing the integrity of working landscapes in a holistic manner.Less
In recent decades, declining ranching economies have returned fewer food dollars to producers. Ranchers have fewer assets with which to invest in the long-term protection of their land, and many have sold their property for development. Beginning in the 21st century, some ranchers turned to the emerging niche market of grass-fed and grass-finished beef. While the definition of these terms is imprecise and benefits somewhat debatable, consumers have embraced the commodity and by 2010, certified grass-fed beef sold for three times the price of grain-fed beef. Farmers benefit by receiving a greater proportion of the consumer dollar spent on meat, and less impact on their land. Thus, not only do ranchers gain more income during an era when production costs are rising and profit margins thinning, but the protocols associated with certified grass-fed production are consistent with the ethics of valuing the integrity of working landscapes in a holistic manner.
Melanie Parker
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780226165684
- eISBN:
- 9780226165851
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226165851.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
The 440,000-acre Swan Valley in western Montana is characterized by patches of private land within a checkerboard of public and corporate land situated between wilderness areas that comprise a ...
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The 440,000-acre Swan Valley in western Montana is characterized by patches of private land within a checkerboard of public and corporate land situated between wilderness areas that comprise a 10-million-acre wildlife habitat. In the mid-1990s the Plum Creek Timber Company began converting some of its working forest lands to real estate; residents organized area stakeholders to identify options for removing the development potential of the checkerboard timberland. The Swan Lands Coordinating Committee employed a variety of means for conserving the land. Land exchanges between the timber industry and federal parties had limited success due to opposition from environmental groups. Conservation easements protected 7,200 acres but the timber company opposed valley-wide easements. A 640-acre community forest was created through collaboration among the Swan Ecosystem Center and local tribes. Land-use planning efforts proved too contentious to provide a timely response. Ultimately, land acquisition emerged as the best tool for landscape-scale solutions.Less
The 440,000-acre Swan Valley in western Montana is characterized by patches of private land within a checkerboard of public and corporate land situated between wilderness areas that comprise a 10-million-acre wildlife habitat. In the mid-1990s the Plum Creek Timber Company began converting some of its working forest lands to real estate; residents organized area stakeholders to identify options for removing the development potential of the checkerboard timberland. The Swan Lands Coordinating Committee employed a variety of means for conserving the land. Land exchanges between the timber industry and federal parties had limited success due to opposition from environmental groups. Conservation easements protected 7,200 acres but the timber company opposed valley-wide easements. A 640-acre community forest was created through collaboration among the Swan Ecosystem Center and local tribes. Land-use planning efforts proved too contentious to provide a timely response. Ultimately, land acquisition emerged as the best tool for landscape-scale solutions.
Philip Tedeschi, Sarah M. Bexell, and Jolie NeSmith
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780226925332
- eISBN:
- 9780226925363
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226925363.003.0017
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter focuses on the role of social work in improving relationships among humans, animals, and other nature. Social workers deal with society's most serious problems. Today, the most pressing ...
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This chapter focuses on the role of social work in improving relationships among humans, animals, and other nature. Social workers deal with society's most serious problems. Today, the most pressing issue facing the human condition is the worldwide decline in biodiversity and subsequent threats to global stability and human health. Social workers must encourage and empower people to gain an understanding of the interrelationships among themselves, their families, and communities, including the natural environment and its nonhuman inhabitants. The chapter also discusses some of the main ecological disturbances impacting human health. These include climate change, global environmental injustice, food security, biological diversity, human population growth, and animal welfare.Less
This chapter focuses on the role of social work in improving relationships among humans, animals, and other nature. Social workers deal with society's most serious problems. Today, the most pressing issue facing the human condition is the worldwide decline in biodiversity and subsequent threats to global stability and human health. Social workers must encourage and empower people to gain an understanding of the interrelationships among themselves, their families, and communities, including the natural environment and its nonhuman inhabitants. The chapter also discusses some of the main ecological disturbances impacting human health. These include climate change, global environmental injustice, food security, biological diversity, human population growth, and animal welfare.
