A lot of Preservationists have never googled the definition.
Which hairs are being split from the google definitions?
pres·er·va·tion·ist
/ˌprezərˈvāSHənəst/
noun
- a supporter or advocate of the preservation of something, especially of historic buildings and artifacts.
con·ser·va·tion·ist
/ˌkänsərˈvāSHənəst/
noun
- a person who advocates or acts for the protection and preservation of the environment and wildlife. "conservationist groups"
If you google preservation vs conservation you get this from the NPS (but you only said to google the definitions, so I over reach to help your cause).
"Conservation and preservation are closely linked and may indeed seem to mean the same thing. Both terms involve a degree of protection, but how that is protection is carried out is the key difference. Conservation is generally associated with the protection of natural resources, while preservation is associated with the protection of buildings, objects, and landscapes. Put simply conservation seeks the
proper use of nature, while preservation seeks
protection of nature from use.
"During the environmental movement of the early 20th century, two opposing factions emerged: conservationists and preservationists. Conservationists sought to regulate human use while preservationists sought to eliminate human impact altogether. " And "conservation generally follows an economic motive."
Fishing industry = human impact
Fishing industry worth 1.5 billion annually = economic motive
So, who is misusing the words as enlightenment by your preferred method (google) reveals them from on high?
But, you were right about one thing, I had never googled them as I normally turn to the Oxford English Dictionary I keep around. Webster's would be more American, but too many of the words I look up are not in the unabridged edition. But, that is to distract from the point that you were right about something. My hat is off to you, sir; for being such an astute observer of humanity. Please excuse the cap hair.