9367 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9367
• Author: Colorado Water Workshop.
• Title: Proceedings
• USFW Year: 1992.
• USFW - Doc Type: Colorado Water Workshop July 22-24, 1992.
• Copyright Material: NO

science. While they are connected with science, and the widespread
use of fertilizer and pesticides, it has been estimated that
approximately 50% of the increase in productivity is related to
genetic improvement of the crops. Many crops did not originate in the
United States; e.g., corn came from Mexico, rice from Asia, and wheat
from Iraq. Therefore, why do we have to maintain our native
biodiversity in the United States in order to maintain genetic
resources for agriculture. There are over 200 species of plants that
are related to important food crops that are candidates for our
domestic list of threatened and endangered species. These plants can
be found within the United States or its territories. So, we have
practical interests in maintaining the level of genetic variability
in our wild plants for their potential use in agriculture.

Humanitarian values
Most of you have heard of the chemical, taxol, derived from the
Pacific Yew tree, found in the Pacific Northwest, that is showing
promising clinical trials for the ability to increase the chance of
remission from certain types of cancer, or to reduce or stabilize
tumor growth. That is only one an example. Twenty-five percent of
all prescriptions sold in this country contain a plant derivative.
In many cases, the plants are wild plants.
There maybe 250,000 species of plants on earth. Approximately
35,000 of those have been screened for anti-tumor properties, meaning
that they have been run through a quick test to determine if they have
the ability to reduce tumor growth in tissue culture. Consider all
the other diseases and disfunctions for which we require medicine.
Many of those plants have not been tested for any of these other
afflictions. The idea that we know enough to judge the worth of a
living thing is a fantasy that we need to rid ourselves of.

Aestbetics and Recreation
I came from a conservative background. I was taught that if
something does not have a practical use, do not mess with it. We do
not have the luxury to worry about impractical things. Recreating was
something one did after the chores were done. In our modern world,
the United States is very productive. I understand that we are in a
recession, and things are very difficult for some. However, as a
nation we are very wealthy. In fact, we are so productive that the
importance of services is outstripping the importance of commodities
in our economy. Many people relate economic decline, or economic
stagnation to the image of a service economy in which people are
burger flippers or maids and only with a production economy one can
be a member of a union or make a real living. That is an outdated
economic view. A service economy includes many professionals;
lawyers, doctors, investment counselors, computer software writers,-
and computer repair people. The way in which we go about making a
living in the modern world moves us more and more towards services.
I view aesthetics and recreation as a service. It functions to keep
us sane. In regards to the dollar, they are also extremely important.
There are many areas of rural western United States where current and
potential economic value is in recreation and tourism. Regardless of
whether your viewpoint is esoteric or pragmatic, aesthetics and
recreation are very valuable. We recently conducted a study in the

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