PrepTest 102, Section 2, Question 11
A Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is based on(83 more words not shown)
The situation described above most(9 more words not shown)
- AIn order to(9 more words not shown)
- BDevelopers should adhere(9 more words not shown)
- CLaws should not(24 more words not shown)
- DLaws should be(14 more words not shown)
- EThe most effective(12 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A compromise can get both sides something they want.
The developers want to use the land. The environmentalists want protection for endangered animals. A Habitat Conservation Plan lets development proceed in exchange for a commitment to preserve important habitat or provide replacement land nearby. Neither side gets everything: some animals are lost, and the developer accepts restrictions rather than simply doing whatever it wants.
But compare that with the stated alternative. Some developers would otherwise ignore environmental rules that are rarely enforced. The environmentalists are pleased to obtain concessions, while property owners prefer the agreement to a stricter ban on using their land. That explains why both groups can favor this arrangement without our having to pretend it saves every animal.
What we’re looking for
The principle question asks what that situation illustrates. I'd look for a law bringing the groups' interests together through a workable compromise.
Working the answers
- A
Avoiding lengthy legal battles could be a reason to compromise, but no legal battle is described here. The stated benefits concern habitat commitments and permitted land use. A supplies a particular purpose for the compromise that this account doesn't give us.
- B
The passage reports that developers might ignore weakly enforced laws. It doesn't endorse ignoring any law they find too burdensome. Describing noncompliance as a problem the compromise addresses isn't a recommendation to disobey inconvenient rules.
- C
This argues against laws designed to serve all sides because they may serve nobody well. The account instead presents both groups as pleased with what this arrangement offers. C rejects the kind of reconciliation the example treats favorably.
- DCorrect
Fashion laws to reconcile the interests of developers and environmentalists. The plan lets developers use land while securing habitat commitments the environmentalists value. It illustrates meeting competing interests together, rather than insisting one side must obtain everything and the other nothing.
- E
Calling this the most effective way to preserve endangered species requires a comparison with other methods. The passage never makes that comparison. An approach can offer a useful compromise without being proved better than every breeding program, habitat purchase, or other possible conservation measure.
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