Private lands conservation: A vision for the future

ABSTRACT Agricultural production, including croplands, pasture, and timber, dominates private‐land use and land cover across much of the contiguous lower 48 states. These private lands are essential to achieving the goals of national conservation initiatives such as the Northern Bobwhite Conservatio...

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Main Authors: L. Wes Burger Jr., Kristine O. Evans, Mark D. McConnell, Leslie M. Burger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-09-01
Series:Wildlife Society Bulletin
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1001
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author L. Wes Burger Jr.
Kristine O. Evans
Mark D. McConnell
Leslie M. Burger
author_facet L. Wes Burger Jr.
Kristine O. Evans
Mark D. McConnell
Leslie M. Burger
author_sort L. Wes Burger Jr.
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Agricultural production, including croplands, pasture, and timber, dominates private‐land use and land cover across much of the contiguous lower 48 states. These private lands are essential to achieving the goals of national conservation initiatives such as the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (bobwhite [Colinus virginianus]), Sage Grouse Initiative, and North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Effective conservation delivery in managed landscapes requires 1) an understanding of landowner priorities and ownership objectives, 2) knowledge of the economic and environmental costs and benefits of conservation, and 3) natural resource professionals who understand the business of agriculture and forestry as well as principles of habitat management and wildlife conservation. We make the case for a new vision of multifunctional working landscapes that include designed components of natural and seminatural noncrop perennial plant communities (wetlands, grasslands, riparian areas, field margins, pine [Pinus spp.] grasslands, savannas, etc.) embedded in a matrix of row‐crop, pasture, rangeland, and forested working lands that produce sustainable food, fiber, and fuel. Producing sustainable, multifunctional landscapes will require effective conservation delivery that is intentional, objective‐driven, targeted, science‐based, and landscape scale. We contend that it will also require a new kind of natural resource professional. We consider the specific and novel skill sets that will be required among natural resource professionals to deliver conservation to private owners–producers of working lands. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
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spelling doaj-art-834c7a4fec8d40ea85e14fb41f75743b2024-12-16T13:30:52ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402019-09-0143339840710.1002/wsb.1001Private lands conservation: A vision for the futureL. Wes Burger Jr.0Kristine O. Evans1Mark D. McConnell2Leslie M. Burger3Forest and Wildlife Research Center P.O. Box 9740 Mississippi State MS 39762 USADepartment of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture P.O. Box 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USADepartment of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture P.O. Box 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USADepartment of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture P.O. Box 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USAABSTRACT Agricultural production, including croplands, pasture, and timber, dominates private‐land use and land cover across much of the contiguous lower 48 states. These private lands are essential to achieving the goals of national conservation initiatives such as the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (bobwhite [Colinus virginianus]), Sage Grouse Initiative, and North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Effective conservation delivery in managed landscapes requires 1) an understanding of landowner priorities and ownership objectives, 2) knowledge of the economic and environmental costs and benefits of conservation, and 3) natural resource professionals who understand the business of agriculture and forestry as well as principles of habitat management and wildlife conservation. We make the case for a new vision of multifunctional working landscapes that include designed components of natural and seminatural noncrop perennial plant communities (wetlands, grasslands, riparian areas, field margins, pine [Pinus spp.] grasslands, savannas, etc.) embedded in a matrix of row‐crop, pasture, rangeland, and forested working lands that produce sustainable food, fiber, and fuel. Producing sustainable, multifunctional landscapes will require effective conservation delivery that is intentional, objective‐driven, targeted, science‐based, and landscape scale. We contend that it will also require a new kind of natural resource professional. We consider the specific and novel skill sets that will be required among natural resource professionals to deliver conservation to private owners–producers of working lands. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1001conservation deliveryfarm billmultifunctional landscapesnatural resource professionalsprivate landswildlife education
spellingShingle L. Wes Burger Jr.
Kristine O. Evans
Mark D. McConnell
Leslie M. Burger
Private lands conservation: A vision for the future
Wildlife Society Bulletin
conservation delivery
farm bill
multifunctional landscapes
natural resource professionals
private lands
wildlife education
title Private lands conservation: A vision for the future
title_full Private lands conservation: A vision for the future
title_fullStr Private lands conservation: A vision for the future
title_full_unstemmed Private lands conservation: A vision for the future
title_short Private lands conservation: A vision for the future
title_sort private lands conservation a vision for the future
topic conservation delivery
farm bill
multifunctional landscapes
natural resource professionals
private lands
wildlife education
url https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1001
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AT kristineoevans privatelandsconservationavisionforthefuture
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AT lesliemburger privatelandsconservationavisionforthefuture