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NOTE: As many of you may be aware, the SCB websites experienced unusual downtime over the last few weeks. Our websites are now live and available to serve you; however many pages are still offline and will not load correctly (you will see an error that reads "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect" -- we are aware of these problems. We are dealing with a SQL Injection attack. These types of attacks are known to exploit website vulnerabilities with the intent of distributing viruses and malware. We are working to correct the problems and clean up the data corruption this has caused. Thank you for your patience while we work through this problem. More information is available here.

POLICY

SCB Policy Priorities:

Policy Tools for SCB Members

Strategic Goals

SCB Policy Committee

Section Policy Pages

Archived News Items

Contact SCB's Policy Director

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Welcome to the Society for Conservation Biology Policy web site.

The goal of the Society is to bring vital science to those making policy decisions helping them make sound judgments when creating policy.

After reviewing the policy page and resources, one of the most effective ways you can bring science to policymakers is to establish relationships with your government officials wherever you are.

In the U.S., for example, citizens can get to know their Senators, Members of Congress and agency officials working on issues they care about most. Under "Resources, Links, & Tools" on the navigation bar to the left, we have websites for offices and research reports to help guide you through the international and U.S. federal policy ecosystems. U.S. SCB members may also want to call the Capitol Operator at 202-225-3121, and ask to be connected to the offices of your House Members and Senators and Committees of interest.

SCB Policy Highlight:

Scientific Review Criticizes Spotted Owl Plan for Reducing Current Forest Habitat Protections

Washington D.C. –scientific peer review of the final recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owl released today criticized the plan for reducing by more than 20 percent current mature and old-growth forest habitat protections for the owl under the Northwest Forest Plan. The peer review (attached) was conducted by the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) and American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU), the same two groups that peer reviewed a previous draft recovery plan at the request of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). [Read the full Press Release (pdf) here]

SCB Policy Approval Process
as amended in March of 2008

When any Regional Section, working group, local chapter, or other subgroup or office of SCB proposes a new position statement or a significant revision to an existing statement, the proponant will submit the proposal to SCB's Policy Director, SCB's Policy Committee Chair, and the Policy Chair and President of the relevant Regional Section, if any. These four individuals shall comprise a rapid policy review group (RPRG).

The RPRG shall give priority, without a requirement for further external review, to policy proposals that (1) are based on science published in Conservation Biology , other peer-reviewed journals, or white papers approved by SCB or its Regional Sections, and (2) are consistent with the strategic priorities of SCB or its Regional Sections. If these criteria are met, then the RPRG shall forward the proposal and their recommendation for acceptance, acceptance with revision, or rejection to the Policy Committee within two business days of submission.

If the criteria for expedited review are not met, then the Policy Committee Chair shall identify two or more experts (who may include members of the Policy Committee of SCB or the Section) to review the proposal. These reviews shall be completed within four business days. A decision shall be made by the RPRG to recommend acceptance, acceptance with revision, or rejection of the proposal within two business days following receipt of reviews. The Policy Commitee Chair may waive the requirement for external review when necessary to meet external deadlines on matters important to SCB.

The RPRG shall forward the original proposal, any external reviews, and their recommendation to the Policy Committee. The RPRG and proponant shall incorporate revisions suggested by members of the Policy Committee provided that the revisions do not materially alter the content of the proposal.

The revised proposed shall be considered approved by SCB within three business days of its submission to the Policy Committee unless it is rejected by a majority of the Committee sooner. The period from initial submission of the proposal to final decision shall be no more than a total of 11 business days unless that limit is waived by consensus of the RPRG.

Members of the RPRG shall designate a proxy if they expect to be unavailable for more than two business days and shall send this information to other members of the group.

Please consult with the Policy Director if you have further questions.

The SCB Policy Insider (290kb pdf) is available.

Entitled "2007 Clout of Africa: Policy Empowered by Additional Volunteers, Higher Profile", this new newsletter contains a wealth of policy information - General Policy updates, section policy updates and more.

Introductions to U.S. Federal Policy Work

Colleagues of ours at the Ornithological Council and National Council for Science and the Environment have written convenient introductions to the U.S. policy process and how to participate: Policy Basics (pdf) and Blockstein on Advocacy by Scientists (pdf)