SEAFWA 2017

AUTHORS: Bruce A. Stein*, National Wildlife Federation; Jocelyn Aycrigg, University of Idaho; Jason McNees, NatureServe

ABSTRACT: This talk will provide an introduction to the symposium “Peering into the Future of Southeastern Wildlife Conservation” by describing the current context for conservation across the region along with institutional initiatives designed to help plan for and promote future-oriented conservation. The Southeast harbors an extraordinary array of fish and wildlife, and is a global hotspot for several types of organisms. This talk will review patterns of biodiversity across the region, summarize the conservation status of southeastern species and ecosystems, and assess the representation of this diversity in the existing network of public and private conservation areas across the region using the recently updated national Protected Areas Database (PAD-US). The talk will then provide an introduction and overview of the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS), along with the role that the Vital Futures project (which is hosting this symposium) is playing in support of the SECAS initiative. Building on our review of current gaps in the protected area network across the region, we will describe how the conservation blueprint being designed by the federal/state SECAS partnership is intended to identify priorities for conservation of important habitats and enhance connectivity among conservation lands and waters. Finally, the talk will offer a set of principles for adapting current conservation efforts for an increasingly uncertain future and set the stage for succeeding talks that will focus on projecting future changes in the region relevant to conservation planning.