Adapted from a presentation at The Wildlife Society's 2023 annual conference, this article makes the case for state and territorial agencies as the indispensable leaders of a new conservation culture. Under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and the principles of federalism, states and territories have primary responsibility for managing more than 12,000 species of greatest conservation need. Their proximity to local conditions, stakeholders, and ecosystems gives them capabilities that federal programs cannot replicate at scale.
Miranda-Castro argues that with adequate funding and federal support, state agencies have both the interest and the ability to manage all species for all people. The article frames the broader culture shift underway in conservation as a move from confrontation-first to collaboration-always, with state agencies in the lead and the Conservation Without Conflict approach as the framework that makes that shift possible.
Read the full article on the WMI Outdoor News Bulletin.
