The challenges of the future require the Refuge System to develop additional scientific expertise to effectively and adaptively manage fish, wildlife, and habitats. It must forge strong partnerships with Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and other scientists to assure coordination and collaboration across the landscape. The conservation challenges of the future are not obstacles that the Service and the Refuge System can overcome alone. The Refuge System and the Service must lead and be strong partners in conservation science. Communication and collaboration are foundational requirements that must be embraced and implemented if future conservation goals are to be achieved. Placing a strong emphasis on partnerships, building coordinated management, research and monitoring projects that are useful at multiple scales, and communicating the results to the conservation community will improve the Refuge System’s ability to leverage assistance, enhance its abilities to share ideas, plans and strategies, and maximize the conservation community’s capability to capitalize on shared interests and opportunities.

Collaborative efforts will ensure that the Refuge System prioritize its scientific needs in coordination with state wildlife programs. The ability of the Refuge System to efficiently share and distribute information and data, synthesize and report findings, and provide expertise to the conservation community will result in meeting the goals and objectives of refuges and their mission. The Refuge System will engage with local, regional and national level organizations and communities to solve conservation problems.

Recommendation: Encourage a culture of science and expand contributions to the scientific community through more sharing information and data, publishing scientific findings in peer-reviewed journals, and becoming participants and leaders in professional societies.

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