LINKING HUMAN & WILDLIFE ECOSYSTEMS —
TEACHING, STAKEHOLDERS, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

LINKING HUMAN & WILDLIFE ECOSYSTEMS —
TEACHING, STAKEHOLDERS, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Diagram showing entangled Humpback Whale with necrotictail causedbycommercialfishing linescinchedaround tail stock
cuttingoff nerves and blood flow to tail.
CENTER FOR COASTAL STUDIE S
An entangled Right Whale.
An entangled Humpback Whale.
Closeup of juncture: lines and dead tail flesh.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/deepwater-disaster/index.ssf

18

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010
/10/gulf-oil-spill/bourne-text
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/1
0/gulf-oil-spill/gulf-life-interactive

State of Alaska Oil Spill
Commission Report, 1989,
5 sectors of
complacency,
…collusion,
…and neglect.

24

… to be continued …

4

ALASKA EVOS COMMISSION LEGAL RESEARCH — BOSTON RESEARCH GROUP, 1989
Boston College Law School Students: Cecilia Bonner, Nick Carter, Laurel Celeste, Marica Chen, Bert Cooper, Dan Cronin,
Ben Dolan, Stuart Feldman, Dan Goerke, Elaine Golden, Maria Ionata, Peter Kyburg, Bob Mahlowitz, Trish Markus, Betsy Mason, Jan McNitt, Pegeen Mulhern, Sean
O’Donnell, Marc Perry, Joan Ryan, Susan Scott, Patti Shackelford, Catherine Smith, Wendy Wagtouicz, Jim Warner, Melissa Werger.
Harvard Law School Students: Dale Biryk, Lois Brommer, Dan Clarkson, Adam Kahn, Alice Kaswan.
Pictured: part of Boston College Law School EVOS volunteer group, 1989. Left to right: Pegeen Mulhern, Stuart Feldman,
Prof. Zyg Plater, Betsy Mason, Patti Shackleford, Dan Goerke, Laurel Celeste, Peter Kyburg, Catherine Smith, Bert Cooper, Cecilia Bonner.

GULF OF MEXICO LEGAL RESEARCH — BOSTON COLLEGE RESEARCH GROUP, 2010
Pictured: part of BCLS 37-student volunteer research group, Submission to Presidential Commission, 2010.

§7 Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 USC §1536…
§7. Interagency cooperation
The [Interior] Secretary shall review other programs administered by him
and utilize such programs in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter.
All other Federal departments and agencies shall in consultation with
and with the assistance of the Secretary, utilize their authorities in
furtherance of the purposes of this chapter while carrying out programs
for the conservation of endangered species and threatened species
listed pursuant to section 1533 of this title and by taking such action
necessary to insure that actions authorized, funded, or carried out by
them do not jeopardize the continued existence of such endangered
species and threatened species or result in the destruction or
modification of habitat of such species which is determined by the
Secretary, after consultation as appropriate with the affected States, to
be critical.

§7 Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 USC §1536…
§7. Interagency cooperation
The [Interior] Secretary shall review other programs administered by him
and utilize such programs in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter.
All other Federal departments and agencies shall in consultation with
and with the assistance of the Secretary, utilize their authorities in
furtherance of the purposes of this chapter while carrying out programs
for the conservation of endangered species and threatened species
listed pursuant to section 1533 of this title and by taking such action
necessary to (1) insure that actions authorized, funded, or carried
out by them do not jeopardize the continued existence of such
endangered species and threatened species or (2) result in the
destruction or modification of habitat of such species which is
determined by the Secretary, after consultation as appropriate with the
affected States, to be critical.

f
–––

One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am -- a reluctant
enthusiast, a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves
and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even
more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt
and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests,
climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and
lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely,
mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your
head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I
promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and
women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk
calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards.
-- Edward Abbey

‘ iron triangle’

FIN

LINKING HUMAN & WILDLIFE ECOSYSTEMS
Working to protect and restore native wildlife and habitats is essential for ecological health. Learn about designing effective
citizen action initiatives and interactions with government. Hear about opportunities for citizens to carry their environmental
analysis into the practical world of government and business.
Mary Griffin Commissioner, Massachusetts Fish, Wildlife & Environmental Law
Zygmunt Plater Professor, Boston College; Author
Bruce Winn President, Berkshire Environmental Action Team
EMAILS: plater@bc.edu, mary.griffin@state.ma.us, Bruce@thebeatnews.org
SUGGESTED CONTENT
This session provides a look at human and wildlife ecosystems and to that end I suggest the following….
*Mary: Describe your role and department at the state level (fish and game, marine fisheries, ecological restoration, fisheries &
wildlife, fishing and boating) and how you work with organizations to manage human and wildlife ecosystems. (15-17 minutes)
Zygmunt: Describe your role in education and environmental law and the diverse stakeholders you work with with to defend
ecosystems. (15-17 minutes)
Bruce: Describe your role in local efforts and how you work with diverse stakeholders to manage local ecosystems. (15-17
minutes)
Also feel free to talk about emerging trends and initiatives that are important to you.
THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
This may already be included in your presentation, but is worth reiterating that embedded in each presentation should be an
answer to this question: What green career information are you sharing with regard to your field of work? You may describe
stakeholders you interact with; this may help the audience see the diverse stakeholders in the green economy. You might
also provide current trends and strategies in your field.
PRESENTATION TIPS
Looking for more presentation ideas? Here’s content to consider: a brief overview, an outline with highlights, goals, 2-3 case
studies, results, interesting facts, an interesting story, photos, graphics, etc.