Biological Diversity Conservation - An Emerging Environmental Issue, 1993 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Biological diversity refers to the variety of organisms and biologicalsystems found innature. As human populations grow, and development affects increasing numbers of biological systems, both the public and regulators are placing increased emphasis on preservation of biological diversity. An overview of this emerging environmental issue will be provided. Recent experience with public concern for protecting biological diversity in conjunction with mill siting and resource use will be described. An approach for biological diversity management that incorporates both corporate-level and facility-level applications will be presented. The approach is based on the stepwise development of a comprehensive biodiversity conservation plan which considers: 1) facility/business planning objectives: 2) the biological resources of a facility or tract; 3) identification of resources of special concern (e.g., wetlands, endangered species, etc.); 4) regulatory requirements affecting land use; and 5) government and community relations. The pro-active application of biodiversity conservation techniques can aid in regulatory compliance, permitting, corporate planning and community relations.