Presented as part of the 2024 Conservation Without Conflict Summit in Arlington, Virginia, this presentation introduces Conservation Without Conflict as both a proven approach to wildlife conservation and a coalition built around voluntary collaboration with working forests, farms, and ranches. The presentation defines the coalition’s vision, mission, and operating principles, emphasizing trust-building, inclusive partnerships, science and innovation, economic viability, and the flexibility of the Endangered Species Act as essential ingredients for conservation at scale.
The presentation traces the roots of the Conservation Without Conflict approach to the summer of 1990, when the Northern Spotted Owl and Louisiana Black Bear became two very different examples of how conservation could proceed under the ESA. That contrast serves as a foundation for the presentation’s broader message: collaborative, incentive-based conservation can reduce conflict while producing benefits for wildlife, landowners, communities, and working lands. The presentation also highlights the ecological, socioeconomic, cultural, and practical benefits of the approach, positioning Conservation Without Conflict as a path forward for conserving at-risk and listed species while keeping working lands working.
