BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CONSERVATION - A PUBLIC-POLICY PERSPECTIVE

While extinctions of individual species are part of a normal cycle, th e current rate of extinctions should be a concern to us all. The maint enance of biological diversity is important for utilitarian reasons, q uality oi life considerations, and because biodiversity is important t o sustainable regional economies. Single-species approaches are too li mited to protect biodiversity at the landscape, habitat, and watershed levels. New approaches are necessary to deal with the complexity of b iological diversity. The administration is using provisions in the End angered Species Act to bring about broader multispecies habitat protec tion. The ecosystem approach provides a framework for ensuring that ec ological considerations are taken into account, along with economic an d social factors, and that all interested parties are able to particip ate in the decision-making process.