Wildlife and Anthropogenic Changes in the Arid Southwest - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 182

postdecisional litigation has doubtless played a vital role in conservation over the past 30
years. Additionally, depending on one's perspective, this grassroot approach continues the
historical trend in which undue influence of local, vested parties can occur. 90,91
It is natural to expect a tension between local, state, and federal level interests with respect
to conservation issues. Mattson and Chambers noted that: “failures of federal conservation
policies… are in part due to increasing bureaucratized scientific management with its
core doctrine of presumed local democratic responsiveness… and the unique placement
of agency experts to identify and solve these problems.” 41 State-level management has
a long record of deference to special interests, such as those of hunters and ranchers
(both can be viewed as “customers” of wildlife management services). Together, both
managers and their customers have presented a unified perspective, bound together by
their unique economic relationship in which the customers support the agency directly
through fees. This has been termed as “ecosystem services” approach to conservation as
it places a premium on economic factors (e.g., money generated by grazing organisms)
while ignoring aesthetics. 91,94 It even leads to the disturbing prospect that management of
introduced species (e.g., cattle) often generates more economic value than native forms.
A major goal for those valuing wildlife and natural (i.e., historic) habitats is to champion
alternative interests (e.g., wildlife viewing) as equally valuable relative to the traditional
utilitarian approaches (ranching, hunting, fishing) of the arid Southwest.
9.4.5 Future Directions
In spite of the somewhat bleak picture of conservation policy reviewed earlier, it is clear
that preservation of arid land wildlife can succeed. Indeed, one obvious conclusion from
the investigations reviewed earlier is that setting aside large areas encompassing the
range of variation in historic habitats, while eliminating non-native species, would suffice
to preserve much of the wildlife of the arid Southwest. As revealed by studies of Sonoran
Desert birds and reptiles, habitat variability and adequate linkages (corridors) between
reserves and larger natural areas to avoid untoward population genetic effects are clearly
optimal. 95 Unfortunately, this is easier said than done; there is little prospect for a return
to historic conditions for the major rivers of the Southwest, and removal of introduced
species remains controversial, at least with respect to local economically important forms
like cattle.
Establishing preserves at the outset, prior to development, is the ideal approach to
wildlife conservation. Recent reviews suggest that setting aside large tracts of intact
habitat rather than mitigating human effects after the fact is economically prudent. 96 The
appealing notion of integrated landscapes (i.e., “conservation construction” in which
housing developments are seamlessly merged with habitat remnants) appears to increase
the likelihood of detrimental human/wildlife interactions and facilitates spread of
introduced species. 97 Any means by which non-native species, including pets, livestock—
even live bait for fishing can be eliminated or reduced—should be considered at the outset.
The costs associated with attempts to return altered habitat to a natural state are often
extreme, though this is the only option remaining for desert fish.98,99 98,99
Mitigation of habitat damage associated with introduced species remains a challenge
for conservation biologists and land managers. 100 Given widespread population
growth throughout the Southwest, some have proposed that cattle ranches, in spite of
known negative affects on wildlife, can at least serve as buffers against loss of land to
development. 94 It has even been suggested that “… over the next 50 years, we will need
more ranches, not less.” 101,102 Supporters of the ranching industry in the Southwest