This week, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a secretarial memorandum to conserve and restore wildlife habitat connectivity in the United States.
The memorandum directs agencies within the USDA to consider habitat connectivity in planning and programs in a manner that recognizes state and tribal authorities, and respects private property rights.
The memorandum emphasizes voluntary, locally led, incentive-based conservation, provides a process to increase coordination within the USDA and calls for improved interjurisdictional coordination with states, tribes and other federal agencies.
In the memorandum, Vilsack recognizes, “Federal lands often serve as anchor points for wildlife, but most of the country’s wildlife reside on private lands.”
He also acknowledges that private lands can incur disproportionate costs in sustaining wildlife and can be impacted by wildlife restoration, such as wolves and grizzly bears, on adjacent federal lands.
“Private lands provide essential wildlife habitat and support the majority of wildlife species,” said Lesli Allison, CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance. “These same lands also provide essential human habitat, producing our food, clothing, shelter and energy. Western Landowners Alliance appreciates Secretary Vilsack’s recognition of the vital importance of private lands to both people and wildlife, the mounting economic pressures they face, and the need to work in partnership with landowners to keep these lands intact and productive.”
In addition to increased coordination, the memorandum also emphasized the need to improve USDA program delivery, increase compatibility between programs, remove barriers to tribal participation, coordinate and co-produce science, and incorporate traditional ecological knowledge.
“This directive builds on successful, locally supported partnerships between the USDA, states, tribes and private landowners,” said Allison. “Conservation works best when we work together.”
The Western Landowners Alliance is a landowner-led nonprofit organization with a mission to sustain working lands, connected landscapes and native species.
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