Doctoral Dissertation: The Science of the Endangered Species Act: The Committee on Rare and Endangered Wildlife Species, 1964-1973

虽然1973年《濒危物种法》的历史很丰富，但很少有人讨论科学在该法案建设中的作用，特别是关于稀有和濒危野生物种委员会的贡献。根据美国体育、渔业和野生动物局的组织结构，该委员会被指定为濒危野生动物的科学权威，并利用这一权威发展濒危物种科学，并将其转化为最终形成该法案的政策。这个项目探索了这一未被充分研究的关键科学--政策和环境史。委员会在制定该法案的科学性方面的核心作用体现在该委员会制定了列入名单的标准，该标准形成了实施该法案所使用的濒危物种名单。该委员会还参与起草该法案及其前身的立法草案。这个科学史项目主要是知识性的，利用档案材料追踪委员会用来创建濒危物种科学和政策的概念性方法。然而，可供讨论的概念方法的范围受到当时联邦政府机构组织的重要限制。这一项目使人们更好地了解了一项重要的、仍然具有很大影响力的环境立法的历史发展，特别是在制定政策时使用科学。此外，目前关于生物多样性科学在制定环境政策中的作用的辩论代表了科学-政策互动的现代版本，因为它与物种和灭绝有关。将要探索的这段插曲是一个丰富的研究领域，旨在提供关于科学与社会之间正在进行的互动的重要见解。

While histories of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 are abundant, there is little discussion concerning the role of science in the construction of the Act and particularly the contributions of the Committee on Rare and Endangered Wildlife Species. The Committee, by virtue of the organizational structure of the US Bureau of Sports Fisheries and Wildlife, was designated as the scientific authority on endangered wildlife and used that authority to develop endangered species science that was translated into policy culminating in the Act. This project explores this understudied and critical piece of science-policy and environmental history. The Committee's central role in developing the science of the Act is demonstrated by the committee's development of the criteria for listing that shaped the endangered species lists used in the implementation of the Act. The Committee was also involved in writing draft legislation of the Act and its predecessors. This history of science project is largely intellectual, drawing on archival materials to trace the conceptual approach used by the Committee to create endangered species science and policy. However, the range of conceptual approaches open for discussion was importantly constrained by the institutional organization of the federal government at the time. This project offers a richer understanding of the historical development of an important and still highly influential piece of environmental legislation, particularly as it relates to the use of science in the development of policy. Furthermore, the current debates concerned with the role of biodiversity science in the creation of environmental policy represent a modern version of the science-policy interaction as it relates to species and extinction. The episode to be explored is a rich area of study for providing important insights concerning the ongoing interactions between science and society.