The practical question that should be asked instead is: How do we finance the preservation of biodiversity?

One practical model that seems to be working well, and I say this at the risk of irritating some of my friends and colleagues,  is the one carried out by “Ducks Unlimited” “Wetlands For Tomorrow“. Whether you like the idea of preserving wildlife for hunting and fishing, or not, you should remember, that it is preserving wildlife, and preserving biodiversity. Ducks Unlimited finances the purchase and preservation of wetlands through donations, and through the sale of goods. The money is used to buy wetlands, and pursue the restoration of natural biodiversity. A good example of  such restoration is that after 100 years, the  tide returns to Nisqually estuary through the efforts of the Nisqually tribe,  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ducks Unlimited. Other major funds were also provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U. S. E P A, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Nisqually Estuary project is just one of many such projects in which Ducks Unlimited participates.

There are other models for conservation of biodiversity, and we will present some of them in another post.