Why Intrinsic Value Is a Poor Basis for Conservation Decisions

C onservationists from Muir (1916) to McCauley (2006) have championed intrinsic value as the right basis for conservation, one that derives from qualities innate to nonhuman biota, independent of human affairs. They argue that intrinsic value acknowledges the integrity of all species and ecosystems , protects them from short-term human whims, and gives conservation the ethical status it deserves. Many of the same authors deride instrumental value as a basis for conservation, claiming that valuing nonhuman biota in relation to human interests and preferences cheapens the biota's innate worth and makes them vulnerable to competing demands from human population growth and land-use change. In contrast , they describe intrinsic value as " priceless, " even " infinite, " trumping other assertions of value, and thus providing the strongest foundation for conservation (e.g., McCauley 2006). We think this view is mistaken for two reasons: (1) intrinsic value is a vaguely formulated concept and not amenable to the sort of comparative expression needed for conservation decisionmaking, and (2) instrumental value is a much richer concept than generally appreciated , permitting a full range of values of biota to be considered in conservation decisions. The idea that species and ecosystems have intrinsic value inspires many conserva-tionists, perhaps drawing on deep-seated emotional connections to the nonhuman environment. However, although intrinsic value may get conservationists out of bed in the morning and into the field or up to the bargaining table, it does not serve them well once they get there. Conservation requires decision-making, and here intrinsic value falls short. Decisionmaking requires trade-offs: competition among conservation projects for limited funds and personnel, compromises between preservation of biota and other human uses, and even conflicts between conservation goals (e.g., predation by endangered pere-grine falcons threatening recovery of also endangered California least terns). Trade-offs require comparative evaluation of competing claims, whether this evaluation is done explicitly (e.g., by eliciting preferences, as in multicriteria decision analysis, or by monetizing value, as in contingent valuation [Chee 2004]) or implicitly, by taking a particular decision (e.g., approving a development proposal for a land parcel that harbors a threatened ecosystem, such as longleaf-pine savannah). Proponents of intrinsic value as a basis for conservation action hope that it will take precedence over competing claims and guarantee conservation. This rarely happens, even for decisions relatively insulated from the pressures of competing demands. For example, any species that is threatened or endangered is eligible …