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AN ANALYSIS OF CONSISTENCY OF APPLICATION OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ON SELECTED AIR FORCE INSTALLATIONS
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess Air Force compliance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 USC 1531, et seq.) through an examination of the natural resource management programs on selected installations. The method of approach was an internal document search and personal involvement. Four installations with an endangered species in common, the red-cockaded woodpecker (Pocoides borealis), and a single installation, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, with nine endangered species were selected for analysis. The Air Force is not in complete compliance with the Act. Natural resource managers are not employed at three of the five installations. The endangered species programs do not dominate the resource management programs as strict interpretation of the law would require. Determination of compliance is not only a factor of the evaluation of the biological program, it must include an assessment of the guidance and regulation provided by the law. A sufficient body of case law has not been developed to fully define compliance, however, the indications are that strict interpretation of the Act is neither ecologically nor politically possible. The Air Force cannot comply with the law, biologically, politically, or budgetarily. The Air Force recognizes the pragmatism of wildlife management and will continue "business as usual" with endangered species management programs until a threat of legal action puts emphasis on an installation. Ultimately, court decisions will determine the appropriate compliance in each situation.
Subject Area
Environmental science|Law|Public administration
Recommended Citation
SCOTT, JOAN, "AN ANALYSIS OF CONSISTENCY OF APPLICATION OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ON SELECTED AIR FORCE INSTALLATIONS" (1986). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI8612084.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI8612084