Description

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In 1977, Michael J. Bean introduced the concept of “wildlife law” as a distinct new component of environmental law. Known thereafter as the “dean of wildlife law,” Bean has since written scores of articles shaping the policies that impact the natural world. Melville’s Mistake: Essays in Defense of the Natural World is built around a collection of those writings, both previously published and unpublished, with a principal focus on the Endangered Species Act—the legislative cornerstone of conservation and recovery efforts for imperiled wild plants and animals in the United States.

The background to that pioneering law, many of the conflicts and controversies associated with it—some widely familiar and others not—and the challenge of fashioning effective approaches to rare species conservation are all addressed here. So too are related topics, including administration of National Wildlife Refuges, plastic pollution, and climate change. The collection also highlights individuals who have made significant contributions to wildlife conservation.

This collection not only chronicles the evolving history of wildlife law—and of Bean’s views about it—but also helps those new to the field to understand the issues and their resolutions. As Carl Safina notes in the foreword, “Michael Bean is a student of what has worked and what has not, someone willing to explore new approaches to solving conservation challenges. That stance has something fundamental to teach anyone aspiring to be a great and influential practitioner, or professor, or both.”

About the Author

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MICHAEL J. BEAN has served as chair of the Environmental Defense Fund’s wildlife program and was principal deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks at the Department of the Interior under the Obama administration. He is the author of The Evolution of National Wildlife Law, and his writing has appeared in Smithsonian, Quarterly Review of Biology, Orion, Environmental Law Reporter, Nature, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He resides in Washington, DC.

Praise For…

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“With wit, curiosity, and clarity, Michael Bean leads us on a lifelong journey of awakening of man’s impact on all other species with which we share our incredible planet.  His engaging narrative on the impact of laws and policies – from helpful to disastrous – makes a compelling case for the importance of aligning economic incentives with environmental needs before it’s too late.”—Sally Jewell, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior
— Sally Jewell

“For nearly a half century Michael Bean has been the principal defender and architect of the Endangered Species Act. This book is an enthralling account of conservation battles won and lessons learned for the future.”—Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Interior
— Bruce Babbitt

“In Melville’s Mistake, Michael Bean stakes out new territory — reprising a distinguished conservation career while advancing the field he’s done so much to shape. From the “embarrassingly simple” Safe Harbor agreement to the logistically and morally complex Conservation Bank, Bean guides readers through U.S. conservation history while providing insights into the pioneers who forged it. The legal showdowns, political dramas, momentous victories and heart-wrenching losses make for a grand tale from a man who has never lost his love for animals.”—Fred Krupp, president Environmental Defense Fund
— Fred Krupp

“Michael Bean is the unofficial Dean of Endangered Species Policy. His perspective, and his stories show us what’s at stake and represent a call to arms: to reverse the loss of nature which constitutes one of the greatest threats to our way of life and to the world we love.”—Carter Roberts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund
— Carter Roberts

“There is nobody more masterful than ‘Wildlife’s Lawyer’ Michael Bean as to how law can help the beleaguered natural world. . . . a thoughtful retrospective and source of hope for the future”—Thomas E. Lovejoy, author of Biodiversity and Climate Change: Transforming the Biosphere
— Thomas E. Lovejoy