Jaguars in the Southern U.S.: The Rancher’s Perspective
Implementing and enforcing policies that protect endangered species is difficult all over the world, and the U.S. is no exception. Enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is meant to protect a range of different species across the U.S. In 2014, extra protection was given to jaguars by designating sections of southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico as “jaguar critical habitat.” This article looks at the implementation of this additional protection, and examines how the policy created friction among nine of the most influential ranchers in those regions.
Interviewing the ranchers in depth, the researchers of this study found that there was a strong concern about the direct impacts of conservation policy on ranching and of the “possible alternative agendas” of the critical habitat advocates. The ranchers were more worried about the possible bureaucratic limits of the ESA and less concerned about the potential increased presence of jaguars on their land. They also expressed a general distrust of government entities and environmental groups. However, the authors note that the ranchers expressed support for wildlife conservation. The article states that they “have tried to show that ranching can coexist with the endangered species on the landscape. In general, ranchers in our study disliked the restrictions associated with jaguar conservation, rather than the species itself.” For wildlife advocates, understanding and developing relationships with all stakeholders is vital to helping endangered species thrive.