Landscape Conservation Cooperatives: A Place for Friends Southeast Regional Friends Conference Crystal River NWR, Crystal River, Florida Sunday, April 11, 2010

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives: The Right Conservation in the Right Places DOI POD Briefing February 3, 2010

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs): The Right Science in the Right Places U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 75 th North American Wildlife & Natural Resource Conference

Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative Development and Operations Plan Sustaining the Nation’s Treasured Natural Resources December 2009

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Fact Sheet Responding to National-scale Stressors October 2009

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Science partnerships that develop decision-support tools to implement Strategic Habitat Conservation on a landscape scale.

Self-directed, applied conservation science partnerships that will drive success at landscape scales. A seamless, national network of interdependent partnerships between the Service, USGS, other federal agencies, states, tribes, NGOs, universities and other entities which will inform resource management decisions to address national-scale stressors, including climate change. Scientific and technical support for landscape-scale conservation in the Strategic Habitat Conservation framework. Closely integrated with Regional Climate Impact Response Centers to conduct site specific climate impact studies and develop landscape-scale conservation plans. Landscape Conservation Cooperatives ARE:

Deliver on-the-ground conservation. That’s up to the Service, the states and other partners. Focus solely on climate adaptation. They provide science support for conservation actions addressing a variety of broad-scale challenges including water scarcity, invasive species and wildlife disease. Replace existing science capacities. Rather, it will compliment and build on current science and conservation work. Landscape Conservation Cooperatives DO NOT:

Shared objectives stated as biological outcomes Models tie populations to sites and landscapes Partners Deliver Conservation Monitoring and assessment Outcome-based Monitoring Biological Planning Conservation Design Assumption-based Research Conservation Delivery LCCs: “Resource Management SCIENCE Partnerships”

Climate Change – DOI Secretarial Order No  Issued September 14, 2009 includes the following: “A network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives will engage DOI and federal agencies, states, tribal and local governments and the public to craft practical, landscape-level strategies for managing climate change impacts…” = LCCs

LCCs are resource management science partnerships. LCCs will inform on-the-ground implementation to ensure the right science in the right place. LCCs will be a national and international network. Function of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

Form of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives  LCCs will have: – Steering committee of executive/management level representatives from partner organizations; – LCC Coordinator(s); – Science and Technology Coordinator(s); and – GIS capability and other expertise as needed.

LCCs - Lower 48 (Caribbean not shown)

14 National Geographic Framework

US Fish & Wildlife Service

LCCs established in FY 2010 Arctic California Great Northern Great Plains Gulf Coastal Plains & Ozarks North Atlantic Pacific Islands Plains and Prairie Potholes South Atlantic

Gulf Coastal Plain and Ozarks LCC Interior Highlands West Gulf Coastal Plains East Gulf Coastal Plains Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Florida FWCC Louisiana DWF Missouri DC Texas DPW Auburn University National Wild Turkey Fed TNC Northern Bobwhite Initiative DU Arkansas GFC Alabama DCNR Kentucky DFWR Mississippi DWFP Tennessee WRA USGS USFWS USFS ABC National Audubon Society WMI Oklahoma DWC Lower Mississippi Valley JVEast Gulf Coastal Plains JVCentral Hardwoods JV GCPO – The Complexity (12 States; 3 JVs; 3 FWS, NPS, USGS Regions; 2 USFS and BLM Regions; 5 NPS I&M and others)

Integrate Explicit Biological Objectives for Aquatic and Terrestrial Species/Systems (Linked to Larger “Plans” e.g., NAWMP, SARP, Recovery Plan) Forest Breeding BirdsAlligator Gar Open Pine Forest Birds Strategic Habitat Units: Priority Freshwater Mussels Establishing the Science Foundation Stepping Stones

South Atlantic LCC Coordinator – Ken McDermond Development and Operations Plan Key Partners: USGS RCCRC NPS Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Identify Priority Species and Habitats Identify Conservation Needs

Regional Climate Science Centers 8 CSCs across the nation – FY2010 in AK, NW, and the SE – FY2011 in SW and North Central regions

Arctic AK Boreal Boreal Transition N. Pacific Maritime Aleutian Islands Western Tundra

Appalachian Desert Great Basin Great Lakes Gulf Coast North Pacific Peninsular Florida Southern Rockies LCCs in the Planning Stages

Peninsular Florida LCC Interim Coordinators - Dawn Jennings Todd Hopkins Steve Traxler Guiding Coalition- Paul Souza Dave Hankla John Galvez Sylvia Pelizza Charlie Pelizza Paul Tritaik Bill Miller Dan Kimball (NPS) Barry Rosen (USGS) Tim Breault (FFWCC) Thomas Eason (FFWCC)

State Wildlife Action Plans Data from State Plans included in LCC planning and design LCCs offer opportunity for states and partners to develop regional adaptation strategies.

2010 Funding  USFWS ─ $20 M for LCCs (capacity for conservation science)  NPS ─ Positions for LCCs ─ Inventory and Monitoring  USGS ($15 M) ─ National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center ─ Regional Climate Science Centers ─ Support for LCCs ($5 M)

Additional 2010 Funding  USFWS Program Funding for Climate Change ─ National Wildlife Refuges ($12 M) ─ Partners for Fish and Wildlife ($6 M) ─ Fisheries ($2 M)  State Wildlife Grants  Increased funding in FY 2010 ($15 M)  State Wildlife Action Plans will be updated to incorporate climate change

FY2011 Proposed Increased Funding for LCCs and CSCs FWS - $ 8.5 M USGS - $ 10.4 M NPS - $ 10 M BLM - $ 2.5 M BOR - $ 3.5 M BIA - $ 200 K

How Can Friends Help? Learn more about LCCs in your area Contact the LCC Coordinator to offer partnership Assist in advocating for resources needed to conduct the planning, conservation design, and inventorying & monitoring Volunteer to assist refuges in conservation delivery

Dan Ashe, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Cindy Dohner, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Marvin Moriarty, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bill Knapp, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Todd Hopkins, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Credits

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives - A Tribute to SAM HAMILTON’s Vision and Leadership “His forward-thinking approach to conservation – including his view that we must think beyond boundaries at the landscape scale – will continue to shape our nation’s stewardship for years to come “ Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar