Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
The Conserving the Future conference was a catalyst for renewed enthusiasm; shaping a new strategic vision for future management of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation vision document is relevant to the American people, science-driven and works at all scales. The vision excitement has extended beyond the conference and into the next phase of implementation.
Implementation took flight in January 2012 when the nine implementation teams were formed and by April, the teams had drafted work plans for all 24 recommendations in the vision document. These work plans are blueprints for the teams. They provide details on major actions of implementation and are a great resource for our conservation partners and Friends groups. You can find them online at americaswildlife.org/workplans.
The first quarterly progress report is also online (Americaswildlife.org/progress-reports) and provides a summary of work completed, accomplishments to date, and goals for the next period of time. Several teams expressed an interest working with partners, including the states. All teams recognize the importance of communication and many have identified training and mentoring programs. In addition, the first of many vision videos was released and is available on our YouTube channel Americaswildlife.org/newswire,youtube.com/americaswildlife. 
Transparency and open communication are critical during implementation and I encourage all of you to visit AmericasWildlife.org to learn more about the recommendations, submit your ideas () and help us broaden our conservation constituency. Get inspired!
- Anna Harris, Vision Implementation Coordinator
