Championing Collaborative Conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region and Northern Great Plains
OutdoorHub 02.07.14
Federal, state and non-governmental partners came together this week to strategize and maximize fish and wildlife conservation efforts across the northern Great Plains and Prairie Pothole Region. Spanning portions of Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the region is home to North America’s largest number of breeding waterfowl and supports habitats for thousands of terrestrial and aquatic including threatened or endangered species.
As part of the Plains and Prairie Potholes Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC), natural resource leaders have been working side-by-side since 2010 to identify research needs and solutions that effectively address large and complex natural resource challenges impacting the region, from energy development and climate change to shifting agricultural practices.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director and LCC chair Tom Melius, said, “The success of conservation in the 21st century depends on the conservation community’s willingness and ability to form strong alliances, engage non-traditional allies and make improbable connections probable. Together, we are focused on providing scientific information and tools that will help resource managers across jurisdictions make informed decisions that benefit fish, wildlife and people.”
The Plains and Prairie Potholes LCC also released its 2013 Year in Review this week, a collection of the partnership’s conservation successes over the past year. For more information about the ongoing efforts of the Plains and Prairie Potholes LCC visit http://plainsandprairiepotholeslcc.org.
