The
FY 2009 budget includes $321.7 million, a $10.4 million increase over enacted
2008 levels, for programs to build on successful partnerships across the
country and expand opportunities for conservation that will leverage federal
investments to protect endangered and at-risk species. These programs engage
local communities in conservation and resource management, restore wetlands
and uplands, foster innovation and achieve conservation goals while maintaining
working landscapes. The Cooperative Conservation budget has received a 43 percent
increase since 2001 resulting in improvements to 5 million acres of lands and
5,000 stream miles. more
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Aldo Leopold, the visionary 20th century conservationist, eloquently imagined a Nation of citizen stewards. Environmental progress ultimately resides in the efforts of all of us to apply a caring hand to the landscape. It resides in our actions in our own backyards, at our places of work, on our farms and ranches, and in our communities.
To foster a Nation of citizen stewards and cooperative conservation, the Department has developed a cooperative conservation through partnerships website to highlight its work to support and encourage locally led, on-the-ground conservation efforts. The website provides information about successful cooperative conservation projects, links to legal authorities, volunteer opportunities, cooperative conservation documents, and the tools for private land owners, community groups, and federal land mangers to enhance and achieve conservation. These tools include millions of dollars in conservation grants, including the Cooperative Conservation Initiative (CCI), which includes funds for the highly successful Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the Coastal Program, and cooperative conservation challenge cost-share grants. The Private Stewardship Grant program and Landowner Incentive Program provide assistance to private land owners in their voluntary efforts to protect threatened, imperiled and endangered species.
The Department of the Interior, along with the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency worked with the Council on Environmental Quality to organize and hold the landmark, 2005 White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation, where former Secretary Gale Norton gave the keynote address describing the faces and places citizen-based conservation efforts in an address entitled: "Voices of Cooperative Conservation." The Department is working in close collaboration with the other agencies to advance the Federal government’s capacity to work effectively with others and to communicate cooperative conservation tools and information effectively. The Federal government’s cooperative conservation website is part of the effort.
For examples of cooperative conservation at work, visit a database of hundreds of case studies and see Faces and Places of Cooperative Conservation on the Cooperative Conservation America website. These case studies show the expanding use of many cooperative conservation tools such as conservation banking, stewardship contracting, enhanced use of Safe Harbor agreements under the Endangered Species Act, and use of consensus-based management for public lands.
Through cooperative conservation, we can achieve healthy lands, thriving communities and dynamic economies.
Additional Information:
News Releases for Cooperative Conservation
Initiative:
02/04/08 |
$10.7 Billion Interior Budget Sustains Core Conservation, Stewardship Programs; Focuses on Emerging Challenges |
06/19/07 |
Department of the Interior Unveils Cooperative Conservation Legislation to Streamline and Facilitate Conservation Projects |
08/08/06 |
Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, EPA, Council on Environmental Quality Announce Second Series of Listening Sessions on Cooperative Conservation |
08/07/06 |
Interior Secretary Kempthorne, EPA Administrator Johnson To Attend First “Listening Session” in Spokane |
07/31/06 |
Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, EPA, Council on Environmental Quality Announced First Eight Listening Sessions on Cooperative Conservation |
07/12/06 |
Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, EPA, Council on Environmental Quality to Hold Listening Sessions on Cooperative Conservation |
07/10/06 |
Secretary Kempthorne Announces $1.3 Million in Grants for Water Conservation Projects in West |
06/26/06 |
Top Administration Officials and Conservation Leaders Meet to Discuss Cooperative Conservation |
06/02/06 |
Deputy Secretary Scarlett Heralds New Virginia Watershed Conservation Initiative |
05/12/06 |
Acting Secretary Scarlett Announces $3.9 Million in Grants for Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation |
05/04/06 |
63rd Department of the Interior Honors Convocation Features Awards for Bravery, Cooperative Conservation and Distinguished Service |
04/21/06 |
Acting Secretary Scarlett Celebrates Earth Day By Announcing Reopening Of Fish Passage On 811 Miles Of Waterways |
03/30/06 |
Secretaries Norton and Johanns Commend Gains in U.S. Wetlands |
03/23/06 |
Interior Department Issues Report on Cooperative Conservation Accomplishments during Tenure of Secretary Gale Norton |
03/03/06 |
Water 2025 Challenge Grant Program RFP for Fiscal Year 2006 Announced |
03/01/06 |
Call for Proposals for the 2006 CALFED Water Use Efficiency Grants Program |
02/24/06 |
Deputy Interior Secretary Announces President to Seek more than $2.1 Million for Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Fiscal Year 2007 Budget |
01/05/06 |
Norton, Kempthorne Sign Agreement Turning Over Most Management of Wolves In Idaho to the State |
12/07/05 |
President Signs Law Allowing Interior Agencies to Recruit More Volunteers |
11/18/05 |
Secretary Norton Commends Congress For Legislation to Recruit Volunteers |
11/16/05 |
Federal Agencies Announce New Hydropower Rules to Ensure Consideration of Environmental and Economic Values |
11/09/05 |
New Preserve America Communities Recognized for Commitment to Historic Preservation |
11/02/05 |
Norton Announces 56 States and Territories Have Submitted Wildlife Action Plans; Blueprint to Keep Species from Becoming Endangered |
10/26/05 |
Interior Honors Environmental Achievement Award Winners |
10/20/05 |
Norton Recognizes Water 2025 Awards for Utah, Idaho Conservation Projects |
09/30/05 |
Secretary Norton Awards 2005 National Take Pride In America® Award Winners At Department Of Interior Ceremony |
08/25/05 |
Interior Secretary Norton Honors Cooperative Conservation Partnership at Nisqually River Watershed |
08/25/05 |
Interior to Promote Cooperative Conservation at White House Conference |
08/15/05 |
Interior Leaders to Promote New Environmentalism at White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation |
08/10/05 |
Interior Department Awards $32 Million in Grants to Support Conservation Projects in 49 States |
06/10/05 |
Interior Department Managers to Work with States, Counties, Tribes
in Early Stages of Environmental Studies |
04/18/05 |
Interior Secretary Norton Celebrates Cooperative Conservation in Advance of Earth Day 2005 |
04/07/05 |
2005 White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation |
02/02/05 |
Secretary of Interior Norton Confers Special Awards
for Cooperative Conservation |
01/28/05 |
Norton Stresses Cooperative, Pro-Western Initiatives for Water, Endangered Species |
05/24/04 |
Secretary
Norton Announces $21 Million in Grants To Support Conservation in 43
States |
03/08/04 |
Interior
Department Announces Modernized Procedures Implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) |
02/25/04 |
Secretary
Norton Announces $25.8 Million in Grants to Assist Cooperative
Conservation Efforts on Private Lands |
09/16/03 |
Secretary
Norton Announces $12.9 Million in Grants to Support Conservation in
40 States and Puerto Rico |
05/28/03 |
A
Promise Fulfilled - - Landowners Receive More than $9.4 Million to
Conserve Species Under New Grant Program |
05/27/03 |
Interior
Secretary Norton to Announce $82,000 Grant to Protect Long Island
Shorebird |
05/02/03 |
Interior
Secretary Norton Says Rio Grande River Agreement is a Classic
Example of Citizen Stewardship |
02/25/03 |
Secretary
Norton Announces $34.8 Million in Grants to Support Habitat
Conservation for Imperiled Species on Private Lands |
01/31/02 |
Questions
and Answers on the Cooperative Conservation Initiative |
Speeches for Cooperative Conservation Initiative
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