They wouldn’t call it ‘the minimum’ if it wasn’t good enough. A friend (who will go unnamed), characterizing his teenage son’s philosophy of life.
Strive for excellence, so you don’t get lost in the mass of mediocrity. Jerry Countryman, Decatur High School Band Director (1960-1983), Decatur, Alabama
What is “conservation?” As a wildlife management undergraduate, I learned it meant “the wise use of natural resources.” Sounded straight-forward enough at the time. When applying the concept in the politically charged national conservation policy arena, however, the simplicity can be lost.
Conservation, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, depending upon the resources and people in question. My vision of conservation includes wise management of lands to accommodate suitable wildlife habitats to the maximum extent feasible. Other conservationists see the world differently.
For example, I discovered early in my career that many southern foresters traditionally consider good silvicultural practices, such as plantation pines, to be automatically good wildlife practices, regardless of planting density, basal area or burning frequency. Likewise, agronomists long have asserted that good soil conservation automatically is good wildlife conservation. I respectfully disagree.
