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BACKGROUND: As of January, 2007, Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies, called Wildlife Action Plans, have been created and approved for all 56 states and territories in the U.S. These plans identify wildlife species and habitats of greatest conservation need, and prescribe strategies to preserve them for future generations of Americans. The plans were created by state fish and wildlife agencies together with a variety of local stakeholders including wildlife enthusiasts, scientists, environmental organizations, landowners and other members of the community. The challenge is that while we have these proactive, cost-effective plans, not everyone knows about them. They are a tremendous resource for organizations and agencies who work on natural resource issues. Wildlife Summits are an excellent way to get the word out to those who can benefit most!
SOLUTION: The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF), together with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and several coalition partners, organized a series of regional information sessions about the Wildlife Action Plan, called “Wildlife Summits”. Five sessions were held over the course of two weeks, resulting in outreach to over 130 people throughout the state. Hunter/Angler groups, land trusts, and other environmental groups were the key audience. Additionally, input from these groups was specifically sought to help prioritize the wildlife conservation strategies detailed in the Action Plan. Below are some details about successful planning tactics that the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation used to insure successful summits.
PLANNING PROCESS: 2-3 months. The summits were scheduled around holidays and hunting seasons. The Wisconsin DNR’s State Wildlife Grants Coordinator and the WWF led the planning efforts with assistance from key members of the Wisconsin Teaming with Wildlife steering committee.
TARGET AUDIENCES: Invitations were sent by mail and e-mail to sports clubs, land trusts, wildlife groups and other environmental groups in each region.
MESSAGING AGENDA: Presentations were tailored to the individual regions, but based on same framework: federal level, state level and local presentations. Summits were held in the evenings and kept to 1 ½-2 hours in duration. A question and answer period followed the close of each meeting, as did informal discussion.
- The WWF opened the meeting with a national level overview of key issues:
(1) the need for funding for wildlife,
(2) background on the State Wildlife Grants Program, and
(3) the Teaming with Wildlife Coalition’s support of State Wildlife Grants.
- Next, Wisconsin’s DNR provided an overview of the Wildlife Action Plan development process, with emphasis on the individual ecoregions. The SWG grant process and an overview of past projects were also highlighted.
- In each region, a local partner (for example, a land trust, or other conservation group) that had received a SWG grant was recruited to present about their SWG project work and the tie-in to the wildlife action plan.
- The Wildlife Federation closed presentation by inviting organizations to get involved by: applying for Wisconsin SWG funds during the next grant cycle, joining the coalition, signing up to participate in priority setting discussions focusing on Wildlife Action Plan conservation strategies.
COST: Total cost was less than $400. The majority of costs were for room rentals at 2 of the sites, at other sites the meeting space was provided free of charge. Invited speakers were locally based and received no payment, so cost was kept very low.
OUTCOMES: Among the broad outcomes, the summits provided an opportunity to get many of the Wisconsin Teaming with Wildlife Coalition members together to receive a thorough overview of what the Action Plan is about. Additionally, they provided an opportunity for regional Department of Natural Resources (DNR) managers to see how the coalition works and the strength of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation’s relationship with the DNR. The summits facilitated the DNR’s breaking the plan into regional pieces, including bringing statewide strategies down to a regional level. In the long term, more organizations may apply for SWG grant funding and join the Teaming coalition. Specific outcomes include outreach to over 130 people. Each summit averaged 25-30 attendees, with generally 1 person representing a local conservation organization (with approximately 20 organizations represented per summit, on average).
FOLLOW UP: Future regional sessions are planned for summer of 2007 as a follow up. The same audience will be targeted and the purpose of the upcoming sessions will be priority setting using goals and strategies in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan.
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