State Wildlife Action Plans: A resource for State Wildlife Agencies and State Transportation Agencies to Work Together to Prevent Wildlife From Becoming Endangered

As a requirement of the federal Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program and State Wildlife Grants program, each state fish and wildlife agency has developed a wildlife action plan, known technically as a “comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy.” The wildlife action plans identify the actions that are needed to prevent wildlife from becoming endan¬gered in each state, including habitat conservation, management, restoration, and research and monitoring. Every state has completed an action plan, presenting an historic opportunity to improve the conservation of at-risk wildlife across the nation.Since the wildlife action plans draw together the best scientific data, input from a broad array of experts and stakehold¬ers, and recommendations from prior planning efforts, they present the most comprehensive assessment of what needs to be done in each state to conserve declining and imperiled wildlife. The wildlife action plans complement exist¬ing fish and wildlife management activities focused on recreationally harvested game and sportfish species. Because the action plans are focused on preventing wildlife from becoming endangered, they can be a powerful platform for a range of collaborative, preventive conservation planning and restoration activities