The steering committee for the 73rd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, which will be held March 25-29, 2008, in Phoenix, Arizona, announced the three Special Sessions that will follow the event's Opening (plenary) Session. The plenary will take place from 8:00-9:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 26. The Special Sessions, which will run concurrently from 9:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon, are:

Covert Operations: Hatching the Game Bird Plans

Chair: Dan Dessecker (rgsdess@chibardun.net)

Concerted efforts have been and are being made to address the habitat limitations and needs of many of North America's popular game birds-woodcock and the various species of grouse and quail. Vegetative succession, climate change, forestry and agricultural practices, pollution, human sprawl and indifference are among the factors that challenge the well-being of these game bird populations. The problems are nothing new. The solutions and their affordability must be new, creative, dedicated and affordable. This session will review the status and implementation prospects for game bird plans underway.

Mitigation: Brokering, Bargaining and Bartering Natural Resources

Chair: Steve Thompson (steve_thompson@fws.gov)

Habitat alteration and fragmentation from human-use impacts continue to jeopardize fish, wildlife and other natural resources on an increasingly large and complex spatial scale. In recent years, the cumulative effects of innumerable housing, mining and energy developments on public and private lands have eliminated or threatened the sustainability of many fish and wildlife populations. Ultimately, the long-term success of mitigation programs or projects depends on how accurately the decision framework of managers represents the biological parameters of the targeted habitat. This Special Session will explore elements of mitigation strategy evaluation, delineation and monitoring on public and private lands. It also will address technical and regulatory challenges to mitigation programs for single- or multiple-species management at regional and landscape levels.

Access: The Foundation of a Successful Natural Resource Model

Chair: Randy Kriel (rkreil@nd.gov)

Few people understand fully the vital role that access plays in the successful management of North America's natural resources. Because it enables public contact with natural resources, access provides the driving force for many management programs. The public's ability to access and enjoy the resources in a variety of ways lends to widespread, continued interest and involvement in and support for sustaining those resources. This session will examine access needs for public and private lands, successful programs and policies that sustain and improve access, continuing challenges to access, and ways that access to fish and wildlife resources impact hunting and fishing participation and the revenue streams that make management practicable and effective.

Persons interested in being considered as presenters in a Special Session (and submitting an authored or coauthored paper for the Conference Transactions) are urged to contact the appropriate chair as soon as possible.