Abstract

Fostering Public Understanding and Support for the Conservation of Rare and At-risk Species: What To Do When the Poster Child's a Slug

George H. Stankey
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station
Corvallis, Oregon

Bruce Shindler
Department of Forest Resources
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Successful resource management programs require three qualities: (1) bio-physically possible; (2) economically feasible; and (3) socially acceptable. Although both scholarly and political attention has focused on the first two qualities, less attention has been given to the notion of acceptability. However, it is a critical element in this calculus, particularly in the American system of governance where the public holds (knowingly or not) ultimate veto power over public policies and programs. Such power can be wielded wisely or foolishly. To ensure the former, and to minimize the latter, those concerned with protection of rare and at-risk species must effectively engage the body politic.

While considerable attention by managers and scientists has focused on the ecological aspects of these species, less priority has been accorded to them as a social concern. This has potentially adverse consequences. Three reasons support the argument that rare and at-risk species conservation is a fundamentally socio-political issue: (1) their conservation represents a social goal, and thus, is in competition for attention and support with other competing social priorities (health, education); (2) the primary impacts upon their conservation originate within the social fabric in which they exist (human population growth, economic development); and (3) long-term success in implementation of policies and programs in support of such species depends on effective social institutions.

Although knowledge of the factors that shape, sustain, and alter the formation of public judgments is still preliminary, it is apparent they derive from a complex array of factors, of which scientific information is only one. Other factors, such as trust in both individuals and organizations supplying information, the spatial and temporal context within which judgments are framed, and an awareness of alternatives and consequences, also shape the judgment formation process. Moreover, judgments are always provisional, with no guarantee of stability, as contexts, conditions, and the populace change. For example, inmigration rates of 4-5% per annum during the 1990s in the Pacific Northwest mean that the audience with whom supporters of rare and at-risk species conservation were required to interact was constantly changing, bringing different experiences, expectations, knowledge, and priorities. This paper discusses the factors that shape and alter such judgments and outlines the challenges they constitute for those concerned with the protection of rare and at-risk species.

What can those concerned with the conservation of such species do to create and sustain public understanding and support? A variety of approaches are needed, but all rest on demonstrating the relevance of species conservation to the public. Scientists can play a key role in articulating the role and function of these species and how this has implications for all citizens. This will include an improved ability to address the concerns, questions, and worries of the public in a credible and respectful manner. To foster understanding, there is a need to create venues in which deliberative, informed public debate and reflection can occur.