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Message from the President - Spring 2007
Next year, the Wildlife Habitat Council will celebrate twenty years of outstanding accomplishments in collaborative conservation. WHC established a blue ribbon committee, led by Dr. Charles Carson, retired Vice President of United States Steel Corporation, and Past WHC Chairman of the Board, to design an appropriate range of events to commemorate this achievement. In 1988, WHC was conceived by a group of enlightened corporations, six to be exact, in collaboration with four renowned conservation organizations that would build a robust and diverse partnership of corporations, conservation organizations and community leaders to implement voluntary programs to improve the environment. WHC now boasts over one hundred companies in its membership, along with nearly two dozen conservation organizations, and a growing list of universities and agencies. Corporations, working voluntarily in partnership with their communities and a large spectrum of outside organizations along with WHC have implemented more than 1,500 voluntary Wildlife at Work programs at their facilities across 2.5 million acres. Under WHC’s collaborative umbrella, like-minded individuals, drawn from an array of stakeholder groups have rolled up their sleeves, left their differences at the door step and launched into projects to improve or create forested areas, prairies, meadows, wetlands and riparian stretches of rivers and streams. They have established 52 accredited Corporate Lands for Learning programs that are now serving thousands of learners to connect sustainable ecological systems and sound business practices. These diverse projects range in size from a few acres to thousands; some are found in urban settings, while others are located in suburban and rural areas. All are important. At WHC’s Annual Symposium in 2004, Dr. Michael Rosensweig, Ph.D., author of Win-Win Ecology: How the Earth’s Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise proclaimed that we can no longer count on a strategy of merely setting aside preserves to ensure the preservation of the biodiversity of the planet. He estimated that traditional reserves such as parks, wildlife refuges and other designated natural areas will, at best, secure roughly 5% of the world’s species (Rosenzweig 2003). He advocated the concept of "reconciliation-ecology," where all used space should be viewed as an opportunity to be rehabilitated to conserve ecological values. The luxury of "either/or' choices in conservation are no longer available to ensure the biological integrity of the globe—instead it is an 'all/and" process. Our collective efforts must include setting aside the critical, biologically rich places, such as reserves and refuges, while also increasing the conservation opportunities on our privately held lands, such as corporate facilities, farms, ranches, developments and even our own backyards. WHC focuses on the lands owned by corporations and other private land owners. Why? In the 48 contiguous In 1997, Joe Cassio, leader of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for the ISO 14001, sent a letter of endorsement to WHC on our accreditation program and noted that we were well ahead of the curve in our efforts to encourage these voluntary approaches in environmental management. We were proud to receive Joe’s acclamation and to have that distinction; however, as we continue to recognize the complex changes in our global systems, we realize that our challenges remain starkly before us. We need to redouble our efforts and lean on our energies and ingenuities to create even grander efforts in this voluntary arena of collaborative conservation.
We all read with concern about growing changes in our coastal waters, the continuing and alarming decline of species, the demise of our pollinating community and the rate at which the atmosphere is warming. We realize that natural resources are exhaustible, and there is great need to retool practices that minimize energy and materials use. What is outstanding is that all of the programs designed by WHC over the years not only identify ways and means to improve and conserve wildlife habitat, but also integrate sustainability concepts that will assist businesses conserve biodiversity, and reduce the use of energy, materials and time in the management of their lands. WHC encourages all to do their part in understanding the current status of the global environment and determine their roles and opportunities to maintain the integrity of the environment. WHC pledges to continue to do its best to identify where its members can integrate voluntary actions into their everyday business operations and to obtain the support of organizations and resources to help them. We invite companies, conservation groups, agencies and others to join WHC as we celebrate the past two decades and advance an agenda that will help us meet the conservation needs for the future. Information is available here online or contact me at Whc@wildlifehc.org. We also invite all to participate in National Pollinator Week, June 24-30, 2007. This hallmark resolution was through the collaboration of the Pollinator Partnership, a project of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. Pollinators are frequently forgotten or taken for granted. Their numbers are in steep decline, yet they are responsible for one-third of the foods that we consume. Learn what you can do sustain this vital part of global biodiversity. Sincerely,
Robert Johnson |
