Policy learning and deer co-management in New York State: Insights from newspaper coverage

Resolution of urban and suburban deer problems often depends on learning and co-management. Local newspapers may reflect the learning occurring in a community. Past authors have identified 4 primary types of learning (technical, conceptual, social, and political). We studied newspaper content related to deer management for insights about the types of learning occurring in selected regions in New York State. We analyzed 263 newspaper articles published between 2000 and 2006. We found that the majority of content related to learning focused on conceptual and technical learning, but relatively little, particularly early in the evolution of deer management issues, focused on social or political learning. Our results suggest that additional attention to social learning focusing on collaborative relationships and constructive dialogue among stakeholders by both communities and newspapers could be beneficial in the resolution of deer problems. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

近20年我国森林碳汇政策演变和评价

巩固提升生态系统碳汇能力是碳达峰十大行动计划之一，是助力碳中和目标实现、应对气候变化的重要举措。森林作为陆地生态系统中最大的碳库，是我国当前碳汇政策的主体。研究梳理了2000年以来我国森林碳汇有关政策的发展演变历程，并从生态政策、经济政策和保障体系建设三个维度分析和评价了政策成效与存在问题，以期为构建适应“双碳”目标的碳汇政策体系提供决策依据。研究结果表明：(1)从生态政策看：天然林保护、退耕还林还草和“三北”防护林三大林业工程增加了我国森林面积和蓄积量，显著提升了森林碳汇增量，但森林可持续经营管理体系尚未健全，需进一步精准提升森林质量，健全成果长效巩固机制，增强森林固碳能力；(2)就经济政策而言：我国已形成多层级林业碳汇交易市场，有效推动林业碳汇项目建设，同时各类金融产品的开发和补贴政策的实施为碳汇项目提供了多元化资金支持体系，但整体融资规模和补贴范围有限，需拓宽融资渠道，强化资金支持；(3)在保障体系建设方面：我国森林碳汇保障体系处于重点建设阶段，需完善森林碳汇有关法律法规、加快各类森林技术研发与标准制定，保障我国森林碳汇政策平稳运行。     

Compulsory moral bioenhancement should be covert

Some theorists argue that moral bioenhancement ought to be compulsory. I take this argument one step further, arguing that if moral bioenhancement ought to be compulsory, then its administration ought to be covert rather than overt. This is to say that it is morally preferable for compulsory moral bioenhancement to be administered without the recipients knowing that they are receiving the enhancement. My argument for this is that if moral bioenhancement ought to be compulsory, then its administration is a matter of public health, and for this reason should be governed by public health ethics. I argue that the covert administration of a compulsory moral bioenhancement program better conforms to public health ethics than does an overt compulsory program. In particular, a covert compulsory program promotes values such as liberty, utility, equality, and autonomy better than an overt program does. Thus, a covert compulsory moral bioenhancement program is morally preferable to an overt moral bioenhancement program.     

Wetland Restoration in the Mancha Occidental Aquifer,Spain: A Critical Perspective on Water,Agricultural, and Environmental Policies

Conflicts between intensive groundwater use and wetland conservation are widespread throughout arid and semiarid regions worldwide. These have become more significant wherever there has been a synchronism between pumping‐based human development and the awakening of an environmental awareness in society. The Mancha Occidental aquifer provides an example of such an occurrence, which has given rise to noteworthy social conflicts. This paper presents a cross‐policy analysis for wetland restoration measures, establishing the main reasons why funding‐intensive agricultural, environmental, and water policies have only attained marginal success in recovering the area’s aquatic ecosystems.     

Respecting Autonomy Over Time: Policy and Empirical Evidence on Re‐Consent in Longitudinal Biomedical Research

Re‐consent in research, the asking for a new consent if there is a change in protocol or to confirm the expectations of participants in case of change, is an under‐explored issue. There is little clarity as to what changes should trigger re‐consent and what impact a re‐consent exercise has on participants and the research project. This article examines applicable policy statements and literature for the prevailing arguments for and against re‐consent in relation to longitudinal cohort studies, tissue banks and biobanks. Examples of re‐consent exercises are presented, triggers and non‐triggers for re‐consent discussed and the conflicting attitudes of commentators, participants and researchers highlighted. We acknowledge current practice and argue for a greater emphasis on ‘responsive autonomy,’ that goes beyond a one‐time consent and encourages greater communication between the parties involved. A balance is needed between respecting participants' wishes on how they want their data and samples used and enabling effective research to proceed.     

Considerable qualitative variability in local-level biodiversity surveys in Finland: A challenge for biodiversity offsetting

High-quality biodiversity monitoring is crucial in the era of rapid global biodiversity loss and for the evaluation of conservation outcomes at different spatial scales. Biodiversity offsets are conservation actions that aim to an outcome of no net loss of biodiversity by compensating for the negative impacts from development projects. Successful use of offsets requires that the biodiversity gains and losses between offset and development areas are adequately and comparably measured. Numerous local-level biodiversity surveys are conducted to estimate the biodiversity values of potential development areas in Finland every year. These surveys are done for local planning purposes, and their results are almost never published. We studied Finnish biodiversity surveys to assess their adequacy with regards to biodiversity offsetting. Our data included all biodiversity surveys (n = 206) documented in the region of Southwest Finland during the time period of 1997–2014. We analysed the surveys based on Finnish nature legislation and biodiversity related criteria gathered from other offset and conservation programs. We found the surveys to be inadequate in their assessment of nature values and spatial considerations for offset purposes. We used cluster analysis to study the differences between surveys based on the inventoried nature values and found surveys were clustered into 3 different groups. The characteristics of surveys also varied between individual surveyors. Our results show that the current execution of biodiversity surveys is not compatible enough with the quality of surveys needed for biodiversity offsets. Surveys must be standardized to ensure their comparability and sufficient measurement of biodiversity with ecologically and geographically important features.     

Confusing means with ends: A manager's reflections on experience in agricultural landscapes of Western Australia

Summary Since 'landcare' in its modern form began in Australia during the early 1980s, considerable resources have been focused on applying tools and processes, such as community empowerment, regionalization, integrated catchment management, and facilitation and coordination. While these are valuable tools to achieve goals, they are not themselves goals. Unfortunately, they have frequently become ends in themselves. This confusion of means and ends has hindered landcare achievements in Australia. Examples of this are provided, and then contrasted with management based on goals that emphasize realistic targets, highlight barriers to goal achievement, and facilitate the development of well-targeted actions. The complexity of most natural resource management issues, the lack of technical solutions and the long timescales over which management must be applied have all contributed to the confusion of means and ends.     

Using Advancements in Cable-Trapping to Overcome Barriers to Furbearer Management in the United States

ABSTRACT Harvest of furbearers through trapping has been challenged by anti-trapping organizations for centuries, with organizational goals often including prohibition of all forms of trapping. Challenges to trapping may also include dissention among state wildlife agencies, pro-hunting organizations, and pro-trapping organizations. Despite recent efforts by anti-trapping organizations and occasional dissention among consumptive-use groups, national trends in snaring regulations included less restrictive regulations through time. This positive trend may offer opportunities for state wildlife agencies and pro-trapping organizations to enhance the public image of trapping, increase recruitment of trappers, and reverse the increasing trend of wildlife damage and associated costs. We offer support and suggestions to state wildlife agencies and pro-trapping organizations to help achieve these goals, with their partnership likely having a synergistic effect. Although we attempt to illuminate approaches for increasing support for trapping within the constraints of the cultural norms of the United States, we hope our approaches are useful to and promote dialogue in other jurisdictions experiencing similar problems.