From the Crow's Nest: A Call to Unite for Conservation in America

In the last week of March this year, my family headed to Yellowstone National Park and drove the northern road from Mammoth toward Soda Butte to enjoy the scenery, wildlife, and cross-country skiing. When we pulled over to observe wolves on a kill, I could not help marveling that the wolves were something of a conservation miracle. How did we pendulum from a society that poisoned and shot large carnivores to one that valued their role in nature and found beauty and awe in these animals? Behind the miracle of reintroduced wolves in the park were shifting sociopolitical and economic values, new science indicating the important role of predators in ecosystems, and the coming together of many sectors within the conservation community to support a vision of returning this large predator to the first national park in the United States. Jonathan B. Jarvis and Gary E. Machlis strongly warn us in The Future of Conservation in America of yet another shift, one that not only threatens conservation progress but also cultural and natural heritage. In response, they call for a movement much larger in scope and scale than that of wolf reintroduction but upholding the same elements it took to reintroduce wolves, including science, unification of the conservation community, vision, and more. The book begins by painting a picture of where we are as a nation. On one hand, we observed the centennial of the National Park Service in 2016; this occasion marked both a celebration and a renewal of the vision for what the parks should aim to achieve in the future, an effort in which Jarvis and Machlis were highly involved. Simultaneously, the deeply divisive 2016 presidential election saw the rise of populism accompanied by anticonservation and antiscience sentiments. These sentiments threaten conservation, from its foundations to its legitimacy. It is these circumstances that compelled Machlis and Jarvis to write their book as a tool to guide conservation into the future. With a wealth of experience and knowledge, Jarvis and Machlis are among the top authorities in conservation and parks. Jarvis was formerly the 18th National Park Service director (2009–2017) and is now the executive director of the University of California, Berkeley's, Institute for People, Parks, and Diversity. Machlis, a professor at Clemson University, was science adviser to Jarvis during his directorship. Both have extensive backgrounds in the biological sciences and in the practical implementation of conservation nationally and even internationally, although somewhat through the lens of the national parks. On the basis of their experiences, they reflect on the current state of conservation and the current sociopolitical environment to provide their vision on how the conservation movement could be effective in advancing in the short and long term. Overall, the book considers (a) the history of the conservation movement, (b) the challenges the conservation movement faces today, and (c) a forward-looking vision. Initially, the authors explain the “Chart for Rough Waters” subtitle, not only demonstrating the value of national parks and nature to the American public but also reflecting on the politicization of conservation in social arenas and politics. Jarvis and Machlis call for strategic intention, asserting that the conservation movement must address today's issues in a manner that also has a long-term impact for the future. Mission 66, implemented after World War II, exemplifies strategic intention that fit the political atmosphere of the time; it was a decade-long effort to brand the parks as destinations that both directly engaged the public and built life-long connections with the parks. Jarvis and Machlis examine a recent shift from away from conservation values, and they argue that it is important now to ensure that conservation is sustained as a national value. The authors succinctly describe today's major challenges—namely, climate change, species extinction, and economic inequality—and they articulate how these intersect with climate change denial, declining large-scale landscape conservation, and the discrediting of science. The authors also illustrate the interaction between biological conservation issues and the sociopolitical environment. Their analysis of these issues serves as one of the book's strengths because it provides necessary context for the foundations of their vision. However, their service under the Obama administration and their perspectives could paint them as partisan, when in fact they repeatedly emphasize the need for us all to come together. This is unfortunate, because the book's message is paramount for all Americans, and to be effective, it must reach well beyond the traditional conservation community. With this comprehensive analysis of today's challenges articulated, Machlis and Jarvis outline their proposed solutions. In the face of such grave challenges, Machlis and Jarvis assert that the conservation movement must respond with a united and strategic approach in order to be maximally effective. The main strength of the book stems from the bold vision Machlis and Jarvis propose for the future of the conservation movement. They advocate for a series of far-reaching and coordinated strategies that range from connecting all citizens to nature to expanding a network of protected areas, to deeper investment in science, among other approaches. To achieve this vision, Machlis and Jarvis assert that the different branches that constitute the conservation movement must unite. Unified and strategic conservation is far more capable of collaborative problem solving and considering long-term goals. This vision is a call to action. Radical changes must be implemented within the conservation movement not only for today's survival but also to ensure that conservation continues to advance and remains valued by the American people in the long term. Machlis and Jarvis declare that the purpose of their book is to provide a guide for the future of the conservation movement, and it fulfills this goal. Their book offers needed inspiration and direction for conservation movement. The main takeaways should be that the sociopolitical environment has changed; consequently, the conservation movement must adapt in order to rise to meet new challenges effectively. Just as nature can be resilient, such as how the restoration of wolves led to immediate and sustained restoration of impaired elements in Yellowstone National Park, Jarvis and Machlis compel us to be resilient and engage in a strong vision of conservation in America. This book is a must read for all who care about conservation professionally or personally. For students, it offers notes of optimism and direction that are not always as present as they should be in conservation. Above all, a bold vision and inspiration are what we need to advance conservation, and this book offers both.

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