Government officials, ranchers, and companies all volunteering to help protect endangered species sure sounds like a good idea. So it’s little surprise that just such a voluntary conservation agreement being announced in New Mexico recently was received with widespread support. According to Energy and Environment publishing, the agreement was adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, encouraging private landowners, energy companies, and ranchers to protect habitat for the endangered lesser prairie chicken and sand dune lizard. And the big incentive? How about that signatories who agree to take certain conservation measures won’t have to go through a lengthy and cumbersome process for their activities if these species are ever formally listed as endangered.