Conservation Planning for the Next Century

The Planning Implementation Team was chartered in October 2011 to address Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation Recommendation #1. This recommendation called to, “Incorporate the lessons learned from our first round of CCPs and HMPs into the next generation of conservation plans, and ensure these new plans view refuges in a landscape context and describe actions to project conservation benefits beyond refuge boundaries.”

Yogi Berra, the oft-quoted New York Yankees catcher, once said: “You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”

Effective conservation planning has been, and will continue to be, essential for ensuring that the National Wildlife Refuge System knows where it’s going and meets its commitment to conserving fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for future generations of Americans. The Planning Implementation Team, composed of 13 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees within the Refuge System from across the country, has been tasked with developing guidance and processes for improving Refuge System planning.

In the Refuge System, planning is done primarily through Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP), which drive on-the-ground management on refuges across the country. CCPs identify goals and objectives for refuge management, and identify strategies to achieve these goals and objectives. As of October, 2011, FWS had completed CCPs for 426 refuges. Some refuges have begun a 2nd round of CCPs and/or CCP revisions.  Many refuges have also begun work on documents such as Habitat Management Plans (HMP) that “step down” the guidance of CCPs to a greater level of specificity.

The Planning Implementation Team is currently compiling feedback from FWS employees, interested citizens, other federal agencies, and partner organizations regarding lessons learned from the first round of CCPs, HMPs and other “step-down” plans.

A number of common themes have emerged from the feedback being received by FWS, which will likely be incorporated into deliverables of the Planning Implementation Team. There is general consensus that the next generation of plans should:

  • Look beyond refuge boundaries to the larger geographic landscape
  • Have a strong foundation in science (both social and biological)
  • Emphasize collaborative planning with partners
  • Better, and more consistently, incorporate climate change
  • Be readable and inspire action by FWS and its partners

As the Planning Implementation Team continues its work, we will post our information online on this site at: (http://AmericasWildlife.org/groups/planning-recommendation-1/). Log in and tell us what you think.

*This is the third “In the Spotlight” blog post that will keep you informed on the nine implementation teams and the work they are performing to make the vision a reality. Check out our Facebook page and Twitter for continual updates!

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