“ Recreating the Natural ” January 20 th and 21 st , 2011 Mann Library 102 Graduate Student Association Department of Natural Resources

Jim Lassoie et al. Relax, we’re from ‘Conservation, Inc.’: Exploring the consequences of protecting biodiversity The past three decades have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of parks and protected areas (PPAs) worldwide, and they now represent almost seven percent of the Earth’s surface. Although primarily established to save nature and its biodiversity, they also concurrently protect a variety of ecosystem and environmental services, and are widely seen as being positive steps for promoting sustainable conservation. However, the net result of physical or livelihood displacement of indigenous peoples who once utilized these lands and resources is now well documented. This paper explores these outcomes by considering two alternative hypotheses. First, we hypothesize that conservation organizations and governmental agencies see PPAs as a ‘land grab for biodiversity’ with full knowledge of the consequences that such actions will have on local people. Accusations of planned genocide past and present cannot be rejected, but more insidious approaches to ‘social engineering’ for development may now be the norm. Second, we hypothesize that these are unforeseen outcomes arising from the actions of caring, sensitive individuals who believe that saving nature also saves people in the long run. The failure here is our inherent inability to fully understand the establishment of PPAs as a coupled human and natural system. We conclude that these two hypotheses are interrelated and that both are playing out worldwide within today’s conservation movement. Finally, we suggest alternatives for fixing unforeseen outcomes where they have happened in the past, and assuring they are minimized as new locations are added to the Earth’s portfolio of PPAs.