The Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) is an approach to conservation at multiple scales that strives to unite the conservation community around a shared, long-term vision for the future of natural and cultural resources. Our lands and waters provide a variety of goods and services, including fish and wildlife, that must be balanced – particularly in a landscape like the Southeastern United States where dramatic changes have occurred and the vast majority of the land is privately held.

Partnerships and collaboration are key to making this vision successful, and the partnerships in the southeast provide an excellent model for collaboration. The SECAS effort was initiated by states of the Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) and the federal Southeast Natural Resource Leaders Group (SENRLG) with support from Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, the Climate Science Centers, the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), and involvement of military agencies.

The unique role of SECAS is to identify and support the steps necessary to regionally plan, implement, and evaluate actions that sustain habitat, mitigate threats, and adapt to future conditions. Guided by a conservation ‘blueprint’ that represents the landscape conservation priorities of the conservation community, SECAS provides the comprehensive vision that will generate more robust conservation outcomes between now and 2060 in the Southeast United States.

This session will appeal to those interested in planning at regional levels, strengthening collaboration across diverse partners, and connecting conservation and the working landscape. The session will: (1) discuss the origin of SECAS; (2) describe the development and use of the SECAS Conservation Blueprint; (3) provide examples of multi-partner case studies, including military and urban examples; and, (4) identify how to get engaged – both in the Southeast and more broadly across North America. A 20-minute discussion session is planned at the end of the presentations to allow for audience interaction and feedback.

Workshop Co-Chairs are Chris Goudreau (NCWRC) and Susan Gibson (USACE).

Please visit the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference website for more information on this and other Special Sessions, workshops, and meetings.