Environmental Politics

Front 1

What agency issues a Jeopardy Opinion when an issue may threaten an endangered species?

Back 1

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

Front 2

Where does the federal government derive its land ownership responsibilities? What document?

Back 2

The Constitution.

Front 3

Easton Model

Back 3

(1) Inputs: Supports and demand >> Policy Making Process >> Outputs: Changes in public policy, law redistribution
(2) Output changes the flow of the inputs

Front 4

Why was the reintroduction of the wolf into Yellowstone necessary

Back 4

(1) Wolves had been there. The whole idea of the National Park Service wanted to revert everything to Pre-European Settlement.
(2) Ecological: They were vital to the ecosystem; would help control other species like the Elk.

Front 5

Why was the reintroduction of the wolf into Yellow opposed?

Back 5

(1) Hostility toward government control.
(2) Possible livestock deprecation.
(3) Inset disrespect for and fear of wolves.

Front 6

How did the Forest Service react to the Spotted Owl controversy?

Back 6

(1) They did not want to lose control of the situation by having the spotted owl be listed as threatened or endangered.
(2) They had a stake in the timber industry.

Front 7

What is the Council on Environmental Quality?

Back 7

Office in the White House that is charged with reviewing EIS and reconciling disputes.

Front 8

What is the purpose of an EIS?

Back 8

(1) To look at the alternatives to a project.
(2) To determine what decision is best for the environment.

Front 9

What act requires an EIS be filed?

Back 9

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Front 10

Elements of agencies' responses to the spotted owl issue

Back 10

(1) Establishing set-asides as a matter of national or regional policy, with implementation dependent on the decisions of forest-level managers.

(2) Making all choices on an interim bases, with the "real decision" made in ongoing planning processes.

(3) Doing enough to avoid losing control by having the owl listed federally as endangered or threatened.

(4) If the spotted owl were to be listed, the FWS would have more influence over the BLM and FS.

(5) Maintaining an aggressive timber program that increasingly precluded options for owl management.

Front 11

Endangered

Back 11

Threatened with extinction.

Front 12

Threatened

Back 12

Threatened with endangerment.

Front 13

Take

Back 13

When a government agency basically restricts your use of your private land to such a degree that it amounts to taking away your ownership rights. Under laws of eminent domain governments have the right to do that. They can force the sale of land if it’s for a public purpose.

Front 14

Incidental Take

Back 14

Non-federal organizations that are interested in conducting activities that might incidentally harm (or "take") endangered or threatened wildlife on their land are required to obtain an incidental take permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to provide protection from violating the Endangered Species Act.

Front 15

Habitat conservation plan

Back 15

A Habitat conservation plan (HCP) ia a plan prepared under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by nonfederal parties wishing to obtain permits for incidental taking of threatened and endangered species.

The HCP is designed to offset any harmful effects the proposed activity might have on the species.

Front 16

Evolutionarily Significant Unit

Back 16

a population of organisms that is considered distinct for purposes of conservation. Delineating ESUs is important when considering conservation action.

This term can apply to any species, subspecies, geographic race, or population.

Front 17

Scoping

Back 17

Public involvement process involved with an EIS in which members of the public submit comments.

Used to:
(1) identify the range of alternatives that will be considered
(2) assess the potentially significant impacts that should be evaluated.

Front 18

SEIS

Back 18

Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement - filed when an EIS is determined to be insufficient and additional alternatives must be considered.

Front 19

Record of decision

Back 19

Once all the protests are resolved in an EIS, an agency issues a Record of Decision which is its final action prior to implementation. If members of the public are still dissatisfied with the outcome they may sue the agency in Federal court.

Front 20

Environmental assessment

Back 20

an assessment of the possible impact—positive or negative—that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects.

Filed before an EIS to determine whether an EIS is needed or not because the environmental impact of a case is so far unclear.

Front 21

FONSI

Back 21

Finding of No Significant Impact

A FONSI is a public decision document that briefly describes why the project will not have any significant environmental effect and will not require the preparation of an EIS.

Front 22

Critical habitat

Back 22

(1) specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing, if they contain physical or biological features essential to conservation, and those features may require special management considerations or protection
(2) specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species if the agency determines that the area itself is essential for conservation.

Front 23

How much of the land of the United States is owned and managed by the federal government?

Back 23

approx. 1/3

Front 24

Where is most of the land owned by the federal government?

Back 24

Most of it is in the American West and in Alaska.

Front 25

Why do we have federal land?

Back 25

(1) Federal government, not states, acquired land from the Native Americans.
(2) Federal government, not states, conquered/purchased land from other nations.

Front 26

Homestead Act

Back 26

Individual could acquire up to 180 acres of land free-of-charge, could do it by essentially going out, settling the land, raising crops on it, developing it for five years typically.

You would get 180 acres as long as you promised to develop it.

Front 27

Timber Culture Act

Back 27

you can have another 180 acres as long as you planted trees there.

Front 28

Forest Service (FS)

Back 28

(1) National forests
(2) Department of Agriculture

Front 29

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Back 29

(1) Public lands, public domain, etc.
(2) Most land in West
(3) Includes test sites, military bases, and resource preserves
(4) Department of Interior

Front 30

National Park Service

Back 30

(1) National parks
(2) Department of Interior

Front 31

Fish and Wildlife Service

Back 31

(1) An agency
(2) National wildlife refuges.
(3) Cosmopolitan; hosts international programs.
(4) Dependent on hunters (who hunt in refuges) for revenue.
(5) Can veto the projects of other agencies for endangering wildlife.
(6) Part of the Department of Interior

Front 32

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Back 32

American Indian reservations

Front 33

Army Corp of Engineers

Back 33

Water management
(1) Manages navigability
(2) Manages rivers and flood control
(3) Regulation

Front 34

The Bureau of Reclamation

Back 34

Water management
(1) Build dams
(2) Irrigation
(3) Hydroelectricity
(4) Reservoirs
(5) Department of Interior

Front 35

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Back 35

Oceans and atmosphere
(1) Policy research
(2) Climate change
(3) Department of Commerce

Front 36

Federal Power Commission (FPC)

Back 36

Managed electric utilities.

Replaced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Front 37

Tennessee Valley Authority

Back 37

A federally owned producer of energy and stimulator of economic development in Tennessee and Mississippi

Front 38

Bonneville Power Authority

Back 38

The agency to market the power on the Columbia river system and other rivers of the Pacific Northwest.

Front 39

Rural Electrification Administration

Back 39

Directive: Get electricity to the farmers.

Front 40

Atomic Energy Commission

Back 40

Regulatory body for the private use of atomic energy.

Front 41

Council on Environmental Quality

Back 41

(1) Advisory to the president.
(2) Does studies on his behalf.
(3) Deal with issues affecting the environment which are bigger than a single cabinet agency.

Front 42

DeTocqueville

Back 42

(1) Americans were great "joiners" -- joined voluntary organizations in great numbres.
(2) These organizations were political even if they did not explicitly intend to be.
(3) Participation in group activities provided the nurturing ground for democracy -- people learned democracy and its norms through these organizations.

Front 43

Arthur Bentley

Back 43

Argued public policy is a product of a struggle among groups.

Front 44

David Truman

Back 44

(1) Linked the group process in the United States to a type of democracy – pluralism.
(2) Argued that pluralism protected minority groups.