Although they were not generally designed to promote biodiversity, these programs often result in significant biodiversity benefits. For example, the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program operate by purchasing conservation easements from farmers in order to remove highly erodible lands, riparian areas, and wetlands from agricultural production. Although not designed with biodiversity benefits in mind, the CRP has had tremendous benefits for native waterfowl and other wildlife. The CRP program now covers 36.4 million acres, which is twice the size of all national wildlife refuges and state wildlife areas in the lower 48 states. Finally, both environmentalists and private property rights advocates are exploring ways to build economic incentives into the Endangered Species Act in order to provide landowners with positive incentives to create or maintain habitat for endangered species.
Many stakeholders are interested in adopting market-based approaches to habitat conservation.
Both of these systems can be used to control the social and environmental impact of development while maintaining the economic value of land within a community. These approaches are explained fully in the report. Selected Policy Recommendations CIEL's report contains numerous recommendations for ways to integrate economic policy with biodiversity conservation. For purposes of illustration, some of those ideas are highlighted below. Economic Incentives and Biodiversity Conservation in the United States for a more thorough analysis of each of these issues, as well as for additional policy recommendations and for discussion of other related issues.