Graduate Exit Seminar - Emily Rabung

Plan to join Emily Rabung's graduate exit seminar on March 27, 2024, at 1:00 pm in Kottman Hall 245 or via Zoom. Emily will present, "Conservation in Craters: Implementation of the Endangered Species Act by the Department of Defense."

Abstract: The Department of Defense (DoD) is an important partner for protecting species at risk of extinction. About a third of all species that are listed as threatened or endangered in the United States are found on DoD lands. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the DoD is required to manage and avoiding harming those 500 or so listed species found on their lands. This dissertation investigates the DoD’s implementation of the ESA through a series of case studies of current implementation and an historical analysis of the agency's changing approach to the ESA since 1973. Presenting the major themes of this study, this presentation explores what it means for a military organization to comply with a conservation law or more specifically how the DoD built its capacity for conservation, how T&E species became understood through militarized language of risk and conflict, and how the DoD has positioned itself today as a developer of new conservation policy approaches.

Advisors: Dr. Eric Toman and Dr. Matthew Hamilton