A Struggle with Every Single One

About this Episode

Suppose you wanted to check out how our efforts to save endangered species are going. Our guest, Jessica Owley, tried to do that and to observe what is happening where habitat conservation plans have been put in place. Things didn’t go so well. We discuss the structure of the Endangered Species Act, snails, dams, the God Squad, “incidental take permits,” how it’s all supposed to work, and, mainly, how Jessica was stymied in her efforts to figure out how it actually is working. (Brought to you by coffee sent by listener Adam.)

This show’s links:

• Jessica Owley’s faculty profile and writing
• Jessica Owley, Keeping Track of Conservation
• About the Endangered Species Act, with links to the text of the act, other documents, and a video about the act; see also Wikipedia on the ESA
• Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter, Communities for Great Ore.
• Tennesse Valley Authority v. Hill
• More about the snail darter controversy
• About Habitat Conservation Plans (USFWS); see also Wikipedia on HCPs
• An example Habitat Conservation Plan at Stanford University
• About conservation easements
• Jessica Owley, Exacted Conservation Easements: Emerging Concerns with Enforcement
• The San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan and related documents
• Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife