Conservation of natural resources has become increasingly complex and diverse during the past century. In the early years, fisheries and wildlife professionals often dealt with science needs that focused on a single species of importance to the state fish and wildlife agency or national wildlife refuge, for example. Current conservation challenges often require scientific inquiry at scales that involve multiple stakeholders, suites of species, and entire landscapes. The Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (CRU) system has evolved to meet these challenges while adhering to its founding principles and mission. Special Session 4 at the 80^th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, The Evolution of Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research: The Past, Present, and Future of Applying Science to Management, will explore the evolution of CRU research from localized conservation problems to global thematic science needs and will outline a vision for the future of the CRU program.

Since the advent of modern wildlife management in the 1930s, the CRU program has been in the vanguard of contributing to a priority of the 1930 American Game Policy to conduct state-by-state research to find solutions to conservation challenges. The CRU is a unique government research, education, and training entity comprised of federal scientists at 40 major universities in 38 states with funding and support from state natural resources agencies. This unique arrangement also provides access to funding sources that can be directed to cooperator needs that are not readily available to state or other federal entities. The breadth of expertise and access to a wide array of university faculty and resources has made the CRU a tremendously diverse and nimble source for applied science. A particular strength of the CRU has been the cooperative establishment of research priorities - state, federal, and nongovernment cooperators agree to the most important research questions for the CRU to pursue.

Collaborative and participatory decision-making is rapidly becoming the preferred approach in natural resources conservation. The CRU model was initially developed to facilitate such an approach, and is well positioned today to be a platform for partners to engage. CRUs have taken a leadership role in training and application of decision tools such as Adaptive Management and Structured Decision Making (SDM). This expertise is critically important in ensuring success of endeavors that involve multiple stakeholders and partners at landscape scales.

The Evolution of Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research: The Past, Present, and Future of Applying Science to Management will present the development and evolution of the CRU model while outlining a vision for how the CRU will continue to be the primary source for applied science at the state-by-state level while contributing to national and global science themes. A vision for the future of cooperative research will be articulated whereby inquiry developed through coordination, implemented through collaboration, and resulting in durable decisions will be the goal.

Examples from the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit will introduce research themes and cooperator needs addressing listed-salmonids, spotted owls, migratory birds eating listed fish, and SDM/Adaptive Management, as well as genetics and physiology applications related to Distinct Population Segment/Evolutionary Significant Unit identification, fish passage problems, and habitat quality for recovery planning and implementation.

Landscape level work will be highlighted using ongoing research on the federally threatened lesser prairie-chicken as an example. Three CRUs (Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico) are engaged with several state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to develop state-based conservation plans within a larger, species-level plan that will be key for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision-makers to apply in determining the species status and recovery plans. This effort includes monitoring and data collection at spatial scales unprecedented for this species, which is possible only through the trans-boundary collaboration.

Dale Hall of Ducks Unlimited and Jim Martin of Pure Fishing, both CRU graduates, will co-chair the special session. Speakers will include Carl Schreck, leader of the Oregon Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, David Haukos, leader of the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Kevin Whalen and John Organ of the CRU headquarters. The Evolution of Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research: The Past, Present, and Future of Applying Science to Management will be held concurrently with three other special sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

Learn more about the 80^th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference.