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has been supported by members of Congress traditionally antagonistic to the ESA. <br />At the same time, congressional leaders supportive of a strong ESA have also <br />weighed in with legislation designed to provide new incentives for landowners. <br />ESA reauthorization bills introduced in the House by Representative Gerry Studds <br />(D-MA) and in the Senate by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) are specifically <br />designed to provide economic incentives for private landowners.It is clear that <br />congressional leaders are searching for ways to address landowner needs better. <br />After reading this publication, one point should be apparent to all: It isn't a <br />scarcity of innovative ideas that is preventing broader use of economic incentives <br />to recover endangered species. These papers present an intriguing array of incen- <br />tive approaches, ranging from Todd Olson's "Habitat Transaction Method" (Chap- <br />ter 3), to Larry McKinney's "Cooperative Conservation Plan" (Chapter 8), to <br />Randal O'Toole's "Biodiversity Trust Fund" (Chapter 13). <br />The paper from Jim McKinney, Mark Shaffer, and Jeff Olson (Chapter 1) breaks <br />important new ground with its analysis of potential tax incentives to encourage <br />endangered species recovery. The paper not only outlines a variety of tax incen- <br />tives, but it also poses critical questions that must be answered before such an <br />approach can be implemented. <br />Two papers provide real-world examples of how a system of trading conservation <br />credits could effectively protect endangered wildlife. These approaches are <br />similar to incentive programs that have been developed to resolve air pollution <br />problems. Michael Bean (Chapter 2) describes how incentives could be used to <br />promote the recovery of red-cockaded woodpeckers in North Carolina. And Todd <br />Olson, Dennis Murphy, and Robert Thornton (Chapter 3) use principles of conser- <br />vation biology to develop a complex, but workable system designed not only to <br />protect endangered species, but overall Biodiversity, as well. <br />Other papers -especially those by Jane Yager (Chapter 4), Walter Reid (Chapter <br />5) and the joint paper by Theodore Heintz and Jon Goldstein (Chapter 6) - <br />present excellent overviews of the range of incentive approaches. These papers <br />and others evaluate the potential benefits and unknowns of economic incentives, <br />and review incentive approaches to conservation developed for nonendangered <br />wildlife. <br />Papers submitted by endangered species experts with state and federal agencies <br />give this publication a strong dose of practicality. Their ideas are based on many <br />years experience of working directly with endangered species problems. Their <br />call for simplicity, practicality, and dependability in designing endangered species <br />programs should be a guiding principle for any process. <br />Representatives of state wildlife agencies -Patrick Graham (Chapter 7) and <br />Larry McKinney (Chapter 8) -make an excellent contribution to understanding <br />the needs of rural landowners. McKinney makes the forceful observation that <br />viii <br />