After decades of state-level conservation focused primarily on restoration and management of game species, the conservation of at-risk species has come to the forefront. This is largely due to increased human impacts, interest by the general public in wildlife conservation, and increased awareness brought on by the scientific research on those species that most need help. States continue to wrestle with the thorny conservation problems brought on by species where they have less than complete understanding of life requirements, distributions (historical and current) and other basic conservation needs. To support these efforts, the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) will be working with state fish and wildlife agencies to coordinate the conservation and recovery needs of these lesser-known but vitally important species.

In 2007, recognizing that there is an economy of scale in landscape level partnerships and that species seldom respect state sovereignty, the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) began to pool a portion (4 percent) of their allocated State Wildlife Grant (SWG) funds to resolve issues of at-risk species at the landscape, multistate level. This Regional Conservation Needs (RCN) Program, administered by WMI, is now in its 8^th year, and has become a model for success in dealing with the complex issues involved in the recovery of many species.

Recently, the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) began considering a model similar to that developed by NEAFWA in order to address the more than 400 species that are to be considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as the result of the Multiple District Litigation Agreement that arose from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) v. Center for Biological Diversity et al.

In October 2013, the SEAFWA Directors charged WMI with developing a regional plan to address at-risk species, under the guidance of an ad hoc committee. Work on this plan commenced immediately, with significant input from WMI, the ad hoc committee, and the Southeast Wildlife Diversity Committee. Within five months, a draft proposal was presented to and approved by the SEAFWA Directors at their spring 2014 meeting. This program, named Southeastern At-Risk Species Program or SEARS, has the potential to make significant progress on the conservation of imperiled species across much of the Southeast.

The mission of SEARS is to implement the SEAFWA Action Plan on Southeastern At-Risk Species under the Endangered Species Act, with at-risk species being defined as candidate species, petitioned species, and species of greatest conservation need that are likely to be petitioned. SEARS is intended to support landscape level cooperative research, monitoring, and management of targeted species and selected habitats by SEAFWA member states in coordination with the USFWS and other partners. The program will deliver effective conservation and minimize biological, ecological, or social justifications for federal listing under the ESA.

The objectives of SEARS are to:

1. Develop and implement effective information sharing systems and frameworks that will help states and federal agencies communicate and coordinate activities on at-risk species.
2. Establish the framework of criteria to identify and prioritize which species to tackle together.
3. Develop and implement a robust, coordinated, and integrated research, inventory, monitoring, and status assessment effort across the region to address data gaps and inform conservation planning for prioritized species.
4. Promote conservation ? Develop and implement a coordinated approach to addressing threats and overcoming barriers so as to ensure sustainable populations and habitats.
5. Speak with one voice ? Instill public trust and confidence by presenting by presenting the partnership's science, developing a unified message, and having a clear outcome.


 

SEAFWA and WMI are now collaborating on funding solutions for the administration, coordination, and implementation of the SEARS Program. WMI will play a vital role in all three components as we move forward, with the additional responsibility of seeking outside industry partnerships at the state and regional level to develop conservation solutions that will provide mutual benefit for all. WMI will ultimately engage with other regional associations, at their request, in order to assist in providing "wall-to-wall" conservation of our nation's most at-risk species. (jg)