Compassionate Conservatives Conserve Cooperatively

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At "the first presidential conference on the environment in 40 years," opening on August 29 in St. Louis, Bush administration officials will promote "cooperative conservation." Jim Connaughton of the White House Council on Environmental Quality says "cooperative conservation" supports local, private conservation while reducing "some of the expansive machinery of government that can sometimes get in the way." Examples include a partnership between the Nature Conservancy and the Pentagon. Nature Conservancy president Steven McCormick calls it "a tremendous opportunity," since "there are more endangered species on military facilities than on any other federal lands." This year, for the first time ever, Congress appropriated $12.5 million for similar environmental-military partnerships. Environmental Defense lawyer Michael Bean warns the initiative will "de-emphasize the regulations." The Natural Resources Defense Council's Wesley Warren dismisses "cooperative conservation" as "just another name for voluntary partnership. ... It's not enough."