Over the past century, misguided land and water management policies, combined with population growth and counterproductive subsidies, have resulted in large-scale damage to some of our nation’s most important ecosystems.
Today, hundreds of species are in danger of extinction, and cities and towns are at risk from the extremes of flood and drought. The changes brought by global warming will only exacerbate these problems.
To ensure our environmental future, we need to protect land and freshwater ecosystems on a scale never before attempted. This can be done only by creating the right economic incentives to reward preservation, restoration, efficiency and pollution reduction.
To accomplish this goal, Environmental Defense Fund is working hand-in-hand with the landowners whose livelihoods are inextricably tied to healthy ecosystems.
Opportunity: Protecting Hawaii’s unique biodiversity
Hawaii is like nowhere else on earth. Thousands of unique plants, animal and ecosystems are found only on these remote islands, where, far from the mainland, flora and fauna evolved in isolation. Preserving and protecting this natural wealth poses a unique conservation challenge since many of the state’s 329 endangered species reside primarily on private lands.
As the pioneer of incentive-based conservation programs for private landowners, EDF worked with key government agencies as well as farmers and ranchers to secure $67 million in state and federal funding to create the Hawaii Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
The new program will enroll up to 15,000 acres of private land for the restoration of habitat for endangered species like the nene and the creation of riparian forest buffers to reduce the impact of farm runoff on Hawaii’s limited freshwater systems and the ocean. Farmers and ranchers who agree to place some of their land in this new program will receive financial and technical assistance and assurances that they will not face onerous regulations on the rest of their property.
Success Story: Celebrating a Celebrated Frog
Mark Twain would be overjoyed. EDF worked with East Bay Municipal Utility District to protect an endangered species habitat on 28,000 acres in central California. The California red-legged frog, made famous by Mark Twain in “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” and myriad other rare species will benefit as part of the largest single Safe Harbor agreement ever in California. EDF devised Safe Harbor agreements, which allow private landowners to voluntarily conserve endangered species without fear of new federal restrictions.
Today, more than 4 million acres nationwide are under Safe Harbor agreements, protecting species like the northern aplomado falcon, San Joaquin kit fox and northern spotted owl.
Goals for 2010
Keeping flocks and herds moving. Elk, caribou, pronghorn antelope, grizzly bears, migratory birds and other iconic American species rely upon ancient migratory patterns to move from safe winter lands to summer breeding territory. Unfortunately, climate change, development and habitat loss are fracturing these routes faster than animals can adapt — putting some of our nation’s most imperiled species at greater risk of extinction.
EDF will work with private landowners in Western states to create five new protected habitat “corridors” that will link public and private lands. These corridors will allow migratory species to safely reach feeding and breeding grounds while sheltering them from encroaching human development, fences and other movement barriers.
Balancing clean energy and wildlife. Energy choices can have a big impact on wildlife, especially endangered species. Over the next year, we will study how tomorrow’s energy sources will impact our nation’s biodiversity — before large-scale production begins. Our efforts will allow us to help energy companies and government agencies anticipate and mitigate the impact of energy development on habitat and wildlife so we do not have to choose between fighting global warming and fighting for the protection of species.
Restoring the abundance of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi and its tributaries dominate our nation’s landscape, draining 41 percent of the continental United States and defining the agricultural and industrial heartland’s connection to nature. Vast majorities of the nation’s migratory birds and Gulf of Mexico fisheries are dependent upon it. However, the Mississippi River and Tributaries watershed suffers from severe habitat loss and degraded water quality.
EDF will work to recover this natural and economic treasure through the:
- modernization of laws and regulations to improve pollution controls and reward conservation,
- restoration of important habitats by reconnecting the river to its floodplain and wetlands and
- reductions in nitrogen pollution from farm runoff.