The Core Teams, as the name suggests, compose the core governance framework of the process behind the Conserving the Future project. Imagine the teams as tributaries to a river system, interlocking with an ebb and movement that, in the end, flow into a singular body of water. The life stream of the process will be the deliberations and work of the Core Teams in conjunction with the feedback from and dialogue with members of the public, partners, “Friends,” and other employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The teams will tackle the substantive discussion and content areas of the initial vision document and will continue to serve as its primary authors. In the spirit of transparency,the work of the Core Teams are presented here openly.
Initially, we have formed five Core Teams, each of which will develop one vision document for its topic area. The teams and their topics areas are:
Conservation Planning and Design – Strong planning and design are the underpinnings of any prescribed conservation action, particularly with the increasing demand to think of conservation at the landscape scale. The Conservation Planning and Design Core Team will look at this approach at a system level, addressing such issues as strategic growth, refuge planning, special designations (e.g., wilderness) and planning for conservation at the landscape level.
Conservation Delivery – Delivery of conservation and ecosystem services is arguably the most valuable contribution of the National Wildlife Refuge System. In a changing climate, how these services are delivered warrants robust thinking, and the Conservation Delivery Core Team will take this challenge head-on and discuss a variety of issues from water quality to energy development to fire to invasive species all in the context of a changing climate.
Conservation Science – Building on the work of the National Wildlife Refuge System’s current effort to stand up an Inventory and Monitoring program, the Conservation Science Core Team will discuss the future of this program and the role of science in a larger context from GIS and data stewardship to science-based partnerships.
Relevance to a Changing America – America is changing. So must the National Wildlife Refuge System.The Relevance to a Changing America Core Team will analyze trends in the social sciences and use them as a basis to discuss and better understand how we can insert itself into the consciousness and day-to-day lives of Americans in a way worthy of its rich heritage and profound potential. Issues to be discussed include visitor use, connecting people with nature, technology and outreach, and the important work of Friends organizations.
Leadership and Organizational Excellence – Leadership is needed in a changing world. Our ability to meet our demanding mission hinges on the leadership of our community at all levels and excellence in our operations. Under this is an array of diverse topics such as work force excellence, information management, law enforcement, and capacity and workload issues for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Core Team Composition
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service orchestrated a nationwide search for employees who self-identified to serve on a Core Team. Members were selected based on various factors – including demonstrated passion, and time and energy to commit to the process – with a goal of assembling teams that represent all of the diverse areas and functions of the agency. See the Core Team List for a full roster of members.
The National Wildlife Refuge System is composed of several functional disciplines from law enforcement to visitor services to wildlife biology to maintenance of resources and facilities. Each discipline is critical to successfully achieving the System’s mission of conserving wild lands and wildlife species for generations to come, and the vision of people in these positions is equally important. Likewise, the other programs of the Fish and Wildlife Service are multi-faceted and specialized, and the partnerships the System has developed with them are essential for maximizing the Service’s ability to meet its conservation goals.
Learn more about the Core Teams on the discussion forums for the teams dedicated to Planning, Delivery, Science, Relevance, and Leadership.
