A Framework for Implementing a Paradigm Shift Toward a Proactive Approach for Conservation

Abstract

An examination of the conservation program in the Alaska Regional Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revealed that changes in environmental conditions and corresponding changes in the timing and distribution of species were outpacing traditional conservation management methods. This led to a decision to shift the program more toward a proactive and collaborative manner, with less emphasis on utilizing a reactive approach. Efforts to shift the program included reducing staff workloads, increasing capacity, adding new skill sets, providing examples and a framework for proactive conservation, and building support from supervisors. Staff input and feedback was sought throughout the process and used to shift the culture of the program to foster strategic and collaborative conservation. An assessment of the proactive conservation program both provided encouragement and identified areas in need of additional attention. The current proactive conservation program has persisted through shifting agency priorities, declining budgets, and changes in internal leadership. The circumstances that necessitated a paradigm shift toward proactive conservation are not unique to Alaska; we urge others to consider implementation of proactive conservation or another paradigm that better aligns management approaches with the pace and scale of environmental change.