August 2023

Conservation efforts are critical to preserving our planet's precious biodiversity, especially listed and at-risk species. However, different approaches to conservation practices often impede progress, inadvertently create conflict, and hinder the achievement of our shared environmental goals. This persuasive step-by-step guide aims to inspire and empower readers to embrace voluntary, collaborative conservation practices. Doing so will foster understanding, cooperation, and realization of mutual benefits for all stakeholders, ensuring working lands continue working and species conservation goals are achieved.

No great dichotomy exists between humans and nature. Interacting with nature makes us human, and those relations come in many ways.

Florida's diverse ecosystems are home for countless species of plants and animals. However, both the intentional and unintentional introduction of non-native invasive species has created an unprecedented challenge to these inhabitants and their habitats. Among these, the Burmese python stands out due to its rapid population explosion and harmful ecological impact. To confront this menace, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) instituted the "Florida Python Challenge,” a community-driven initiative aimed at curbing the python population. Since its inception in 2013, this Challenge has garnered significant success, with participants removing more than 18,000 snakes, many of which were also carrying dozens of eggs. This effort has set the stage for similar initiatives against other invasive species, not just in Florida, but across the Southeast.

The Minnesota legislative process this year produced significant changes to the management of captive Cervidae facilities. In addition to transference of management authority from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), there were important changes to fencing requirements, prohibition of new registration of captive white-tailed deer (WTD) facilities, movement of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)-infected captive WTD, and importation of live captive Cervids, detailed below. It should be noted that MBAH retained authority over captive cervid species other than WTD.

The legacy of the USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Units (CRU) Program is vast. Having sprouted from its beginnings at Iowa State University over nine decades ago, it has flourished into a partnership comprising 42 individual Cooperative Research Units across 40 states. Central to this initiative has been the collaboration between the USGS, state natural resource management agencies, universities, the USFWS, and the Wildlife Management Institute. This union has pioneered research and nurtured the next generation of natural resource professionals.