Book: Saving Species on Private Lands

In his 1930 American Game Policy, Aldo Leopold wrote that we must recognize the landowner as the custodian of wildlife, and that only the landowner can practice management efficiently. Yet, in spite of broad acceptance of this principle, there has not been a comprehensive guide as to how landowners can become wildlife stewards and use their lands for personal enjoyment and profit at the same time. The need for such guidance has become critical, with expanding legions of at-risk wildlife species, most of which are on private lands. Lowell Baier, one of the most respected conservationists in the nation, has stepped forward once again to take a pressing issue head-on. His Saving Species on Private Lands (Rowman & Littlefield, $40) is a remarkable book that should be read by all in the conservation institution, from academics to wildlife managers, industrialists to the small landholder. This splendidly written, exhaustively referenced work is the most thorough and clear treatment I have read of the 1973 Endangered Species Act as it relates to private lands. His comprehensive guidance on the programs and tools available to landowners should contribute most significantly in efforts to incentivize private-lands conservation.