SEAFWA 2015

States have historically played a critical role in the management and conservation of both game and non-game species. In cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, states have demonstrated success with conservation of listed species on private lands through programs like the Safe Harbor Program for the red-cockaded woodpecker. Recent trends point to an increasing role for states, particularly with regard to at-risk species. Policy proposals at the federal level are placing an increased emphasis on the role of states as facilitators of voluntary pre-listing conservation actions by private entities. State-led initiatives in the western U.S. are receiving attention as possible models for large-landscape conservation. And here in the southeast, States are collaborating to conserve at-risk species.

In light of these changes, the objective of this panel is to seed a broader conversation about the emerging frameworks and strategies that states might employ in the Southeast to achieve large-landscape conservation for multiple species. The large number of species in the southeast that will require status reviews will require enhanced data sharing and collaboration and an ecosystem-based approach to conservation. Speakers on the panel will provide insight into regional and national trends creating both needs and opportunities for states. Speakers will also review successful programs, present an overview of on-going and emerging efforts and discuss the challenges of large-scale programs for multiple species. This will set the stage for a discussion of the factors that have influenced the design and uptake of conservation approaches in the past, as well as the barriers and opportunities for implementation of new conservation frameworks and strategies in the region going forward.