Beyond the BoundariesForging Partnerships to Conserve Refuge

Landscapes

Beyond the BoundariesBasic Principle:

• Refuges in the Lower 48 are too small to fully achieve their conservation goals

• 2005 State of the System Report made the case that refuges need to function as part of a larger ecosystem - threats of development, invasive species

• This principle has gained great currency in the context of climate change, Strategic Habitat Conservation framework, new LCCs

• Refuges play a key anchor role - protecting both habitat and natural infrastructure

Beyond the Boundaries

If: Some of the keys to wildlife adaptation are connectivity and the 3 Rs - representation, redundancy and resiliency….

Then: Our goal is to help refuges play a proactive, catalytic role in collaborative landscape scale conservation efforts - protecting, enhancing and expanding the Refuge System

This requires vision, relationships, strategy, creativity and determination

And this is where Friends come in: Putting the concepts into action

Beyond the Boundaries

• Identifying threats and opportunities for conservation adjacent to refuges

• Building and expanding constituencies for Refuges and other FWS programs through Friends Groups and partnerships

• Developing multiple sources, of financial support, both public and private

• Setting a proactive rather than reactive agenda

Beyond the Boundaries• Work with Refuge Manager to identify threats, needs and

opportunities, and the right role for both Refuge and Friends

• Who are the partners - finding common goals among many different constituencies

• Coordinating among FWS and other agency programs - ES, Park Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, NOAA -- especially with new climate change adaptation programs

• Typical components: Land Conservation, Habitat Restoration, Advocacy/Political Strategy, Visitor Services and Outreach, Funding - federal, local, private

• NWRA Criteria: transferable models, national issues, critical resources, refuge and regional support, funding feasibility

Beyond the BoundariesWhat Can Friends Do?• Leadership: Work in partnership with Refuge Manager• Relationships: Ambassadors within the community• Eyes and Ears: Identify threats and opportunities -

development plans, adjacent landowners selling, water issues

• Build Bridges - local/regional initiatives that refuge could join, outreach to local officials and boards, bringing groups together

• Help fill gaps - citizen science for climate change• Advocacy, Fundraising, Friend-raising• Help think ahead

NWRA Beyond the Boundaries Focus Areas

Beyond the BoundariesNWRA’s Current Focus Areas:

• Southern Nevada - Desert Complex

• Florida - Chassahowitzka Complex - Crystal River NWR

• Lower Mississippi NWRs - Cache River (AR), Tensas (LA), TR Complex (MS), Atchafalaya (LA)

• Oregon Coastal NWR Complex

• Wisconsin - Horicon Marsh NWR

• DelMarVa Peninsula - Blackwater NWR

• Connecticut River Watershed/New England - Silvio Conte NFWR

• Bear River Watershed, UT, WY, ID

• Montana Prairie - Charles M. Russell NWR

Chassahowitzka NWR ComplexCrystal River NWR, Florida

• Partnership with Friends of Chazz • Key property, threat of development• Needed leadership and strategy• Partner Coordination• Facilitating management and visitor services plans• Fundraising

Threats and Opportunities

• Protect five springs• Guide public use• Build better community relations•Improve water quality•Restore wetlands•Expand the Refuge

Many Goals, Many Partners

• Land Acquisition - Conservation Fund• Wetland Restoration - SW FL Water

Management District• Visitor Services Plan - Friends, FWS,

NWRA• Advocacy - Friends and NWRA• Fundraising - Friends, City, State, County,

FWS, NWRA, private

Partnership! Partnership! Partnership!

The Conservation Fund America’s Conservation Partner

Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain

Research and Assessment

Refine and Plan

Vision and Partners

Innovative Funding Strategies

• Carbon Sequestration• Ecosystem Services Investments• Credit Markets• Mix with traditional sources such as LWCF, Migratory Bird, NAWCA, Section 6

Implement

• Land acquisition, ecosystem service assessments and community outreach at Cache River

• Explore Tensas boundary expansion• Friends capacity building and and acquisition

at TR Complex• Develop ecosystem services project model

Bear River Watershed• River and watershed spans

three states and links three refuges - developing potential conservation easement program

• Working with Bear River refuge and Friends Group to develop watershed education program

• Supporting land acquisition and easement projects

Bear River Watershed

• Cokeville Meadows NWR

• Bear Lake NWR

• Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Bear River Watershed

Beyond the Boundaries