Conservation in a World of Limited Resources: A New Method for Setting Priorities

The earth’s biological legacy is threatened as never before, but the resources available for environmental protection and conservation are insufficient to deal with these threats, especially in the current economic climate. Ecosystem services, native species, and healthy ecosystems are all at risk, making it necessary to prioritize conservation efforts as effectively as possible. This lecture presents a new values-based method for setting conservation priorities, developed by Dan L. Perlman, visiting fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, as part of an effort with the Sonoran Institute. The talk will be richly illustrated with examples drawn from workshops that he has led throughout the American West.