Project Leader Jerry McClain traveled to East Lansing, March 8, to participate in Michigan’s Wildlife Action Plan : Conservation Partners’ Working Meeting. 

The meeting begins the process of identifying priorities and actions for implementation of their State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).  The meeting was attended by more than 70 representatives of state, federal and nongovernmental partner agencies and resulted in a very productive one-day session. 

Before the meeting, a questionnaire was circulated to participants to help identify the highest priority issues to focus the discussion when the group convened.  Breakout sessions were convened during the meeting to address the five highest priorities defined by the questionnaire (Invasive Species, Fragmentation, Wetland Modifications, Social Attitudes and Altered Hydrologic Regimes). 

Numerous actions were agreed upon by the group and the next step will be refining the list to address a manageable suite of actions to facilitate the initial implementation phase of the SWAP. 

Also attending the meeting and representing the Service were Jim Hudgins (Partners Program) and Chris Mensing (ELFO).  It is likely that additional meetings will be held to continue moving the process along.