As Henry David Thoreau so aptly put it, “the meeting of two eternities, the past and future....is precisely the present moment.” At this present moment and as I think about the incredible opportunity I’ve been provided to serve as the Wildlife Management Institute’s (WMI) next president, I can’t help but simultaneously ponder both the past that brought me here and the future that lies ahead. I think about my unique pathway and valued partnerships of the past that led me to this present moment. We all have unique paths and journeys that often cross one another’s in this small world of conservation and although complicated and curious, what I’m writing about here is not the past. I’m writing about a vision for the future of conservation and WMI, a future filled with hope and excitement.

The Wildlife Conservation Initiative (WCI) is a comprehensive conservation partnership between the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) designed to conserve fish and wildlife species in private working forests. The overarching WCI goal is simple: to conserve common, at-risk, and listed species through active forest management on private working forests while also providing regulatory certainty for the landowners.

The Center for Disease Control Weekly report for March 2023 reports an increase in Babesiosis incidence (Trends in Reported Babesiosis Cases — United States, 2011–2019 | MMWR (cdc.gov)). During 2011–2019, U.S. babesiosis incidence significantly increased in northeastern states. Three states (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) that were not considered to have endemic babesiosis had significantly increasing incidences and reported case counts similar to or higher than those in the seven states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin) with known endemic transmission. During 2011–2019, a total of 16,456 cases of babesiosis were reported to CDC by 37 states, including 16,174 (98.2%) reported from the 10 states included in this analysis.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is finalizing the hiring of a partnership engagement coordinator as well as a community conservation field chief. These new positions demonstrate MDC's commitment to improving relationships and partnerships with current and currently underserved constituencies.

Due to limited information on bumble bees, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Xerces Society established the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas (PNWBBA). Now in its 6^th year, with the support of hundreds of volunteer citizen scientists online, the PNWBBA represents unprecedented contemporary information on the state of bees in the Pacific Northwest. Approximately 300 participants observed nearly 14,000 bumble bees over the past 5 years, including 1,000 observations of 4 out of 5 most vulnerable species in the area. The PNWBBA is partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit to turn this unprecedented information into scientific insight.