Conservation Networks

Getting Started

Definition
Purpose
Organizing
Examples & Links
Terms

Network Design

Vision and Goals
Network Scale
Integration
Design Principles
Application
Land Ratings
Design Checklist
Tips & Advice
Tools & Resources

Implementation

Acquisition
Incentives
Stewardship
Outreach
Funding
Maintenance

Stakeholders who may be interested in the program include:
Conservation groups
Government agencies
Developers
Students and educators
Neighborhood associations
Resource users
Recreation and tourism interests
Business interests
Water managers
Agricultural industry
Utilities

Some of the disciplines that may be involved in the design of a conservation network include:
conservation biology
landscape ecology
landscape architecture
terrestrial ecology
aquatic ecology
botany
water quality
geology
wetland ecology
environmental planning

Who typically develops and implements a
conservation network proposal?

Anyone can initiate the idea of developing a conservation network, but organizing a public/private partnership is the model most likely to succeed. The primary partnership should include representatives of the agencies and organizations with the greatest interest in and capacity to build a conservation network. These groups include state, federal, and local government agencies and private conservation groups. However, it is also important to facilitate the involvement of affected and potentially concerned stakeholders. Consulting with stakeholders early in the planning process will allow interested parties an opportunity to contribute their skills and ideas and will help avoid having the project derailed at a later date.

Experts needed to design the conservation network can include a diverse array of scientists and planners. It is important to include experts who work at different scales (from site to landscape) and with different resources (terrestrial and aquatic) to ensure that the needs of a wide spectrum of organisms and ecological processes are incorporated into the network design. It is helpful to select experts who have experience with and understand the importance of an interdisciplinary process, who appreciate the difficulty of addressing multiple values, and who are patient with a public process. The experts can interact with the stakeholders and other partners as necessary and appropriate. Experts can come from colleges, universities, agencies, conservation groups, and private consulting firms.

It is often beneficial to use a professional facilitator to guide the partners through the network design and planning process. The facilitator helps define issues, encourages collaboration, and helps the group meets it goals on a timely and efficient basis.

Constituent Building

Establishing a conservation network will require a long-term, sustained effort to keep people informed, involved, and engaged in the process. Ideally, the effort should attract a group of energetic citizens who will support public officials and agency staff, volunteer their time, help raise funds, and recruit more supporters. Outreach will also involve providing assurances to skeptics that their property rights will be respected and tax dollars used wisely.

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