Strengthening the Science-Management Bond in the Wildlife Profession Eric Hellgren Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida

Barriers and Bridges in Connecting Natural Resource Science and Management 81 st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference March 15, 2016 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Science discovery Monitoring Assessment Explanation Prediction Science application Decision making Management Conservation policy Research Management Ken Williams

Science discovery Monitoring Assessment Explanation Prediction Science application Decision making Management Conservation policy Research Management Ken Williams

Adaptive Management

Science discovery Monitoring Assessment Explanation prediction Science application Decision making Management Conservation policy Research Management Basic Premise of Workshop: Growing disconnect between science and management in the natural resource world, including the wildlife profession.

Fish and Wildlife Conservation: The Institution 4 Components – Government Agencies – Academic Institutions – Private Sector – Professional Scientific Societies John Organ

Fish and Wildlife Conservation: The Institution Academia American Fisheries Society Annual Conference The Wildlife Society Annual Conference Agencies Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Conference North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Annual Conference (Principal national applied science and policy forum) John Organ

Fish and Wildlife Conservation: The Institution Academia American Fisheries Society Annual Conference The Wildlife Society Annual ≠ Conference Agencies Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Conference North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Annual Conference John Organ

The States need information and Managers recognize that need Science provides best available information on: Habitats Threats Outcomes of conservation/management actions Allows states to make informed decisions Core element of North American Model of FW Conservation Science and Management Need each Other

The States need information and Managers recognize that need Science provides best available information on: Habitats Threats Outcomes of conservation/management actions Allows states to make informed decisions Core element of professional mission and North American Model of FW Conservation Science and Management Need each Other Wildlife Scientists need the state and federal agencies Management authority for most fish, wildlife, & plants rests with states Funding to study those taxa comes from or through the states States have authority to grant research permits Federal competitive grants (NSF, USDA) more difficult to procure

Transforming Institutional Fission into Conservation Fusion

Issues What factors drive Land Grant Universities away from agency-focused actionable science? Why is science funding so difficult for management agencies to prioritize and secure? What role can professional scientific societies have in strengthening institutional ties? John Organ

Drift of Universities from Agency-Based Science – University Perspective Faculty Reward System and University curricula John Hayes

Drift of Universities from Agency-Based Science – University Perspective Faculty Reward System and University curricula Timing – slow pace of research relative to time- sensitive agency issues Lack of organizational structure for complex issues John Hayes

Drift of Universities from Agency-Based Science – University Perspective Faculty Reward System and University curricula Timing – slow pace of research relative to time- sensitive agency issues Lack of organizational structure for complex issues Need to arrive at common vision of important questions to study Complementary lack of understanding between researchers and managers John Hayes

Difficulty for Management Agencies to Meet their Science Needs – State Perspective Loss of Scientific Capacity Dave Chanda

Difficulty for Management Agencies to Meet their Science Needs – State Perspective Loss of Scientific Capacity Internal Capacity highly variable Dave Chanda

Difficulty for Management Agencies to Meet their Science Needs – State Perspective Loss of Scientific Capacity Internal Capacity highly variable Funding Needs are Overwhelming (>$1 Billion to address State Wildlife Plans) Dave Chanda

Key Science Needs Identified by States Access to basic scientific research, esp. on-line journals New and emerging issues New threats to managed species Improved inventory, monitoring across all species Taking advantage of new developments in technology Dave Chanda

Bridging the Science-Management Gap Broad Institutional Change is Necessary Co-location of researchers and managers Targeted strategic funding for actionable research National or regional coordination of efforts Sharing a vision for key issues Organizations at boundary of research and management: e.g., the Coop Fish and Wildlife Research Units John Hayes

ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT CAN HELP INTEGRATE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT IF: Research questions are sourced from managers & stakeholders Research and monitoring are embedded in a collaborative model of conservation planning and practice A mandate exists, and there are sufficient resources & incentives for both researchers and managers Fred Johnson

Partnership Successes and Challenges SECAS

Take-Home Message: Recognition by Scientists and Managers of their respective motivations, pressures, and capacity Communicate and Collaborate!