07/27/06 The price of conservation

The Price of Conservation Is there a point where the cost of conservation becomes too great? I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to discuss that question. Because I read an article in Range magazine by Mark Dowie, I couldn't talk about some innovative new production technique or tell you a story about a horse or cow today. This article made me think more in terms of "The African Tribesmen" rather than the American Rancher. While there are many differences between these two ways of life, one common denominator ties the two together  the land. The love of being on the land and harvesting what the land will offer gives me a feeling of kinship to these tribesmen. Others love the land also or profess to love the land, but could it be more about a love of control? In the sacred name of conservation five major groups have helped displace millions of African tribal people. Groups with fine and innocent sounding names like the World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, The Wildlife Conservation Society, The African Wildlife Foundation and The Nature Conservancy. These groups use the word, conservation, like they woke up one morning and invented the whole concept. The funny thing is African tribesmen were practicing conservation hundreds of years ago and didn't even have to tell everyone about it to feel fulfilled. American ranchers and farmers learned the concept the hard way so conservation studies were the norm in high school vocational agricultural classes before it ever became vogue. Tomorrow I'll tell you how these groups use conservation. I'm Jeff Keane. Range  Summer 2006