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CONSERVATION CONVERSATIONS Addressing 21st Century Conservation Challenges to Benefit Our People, Economy, and Environment Content

4 Introduction

6 Conservation Effectiveness within US Protected Areas

8 Reframing Conservation as an Economic Driver and Stimulus to Rural Communities

10 Another Way of Knowing: Indian Tribes, Collaborative Management & Public Lands

12 From Parallel Play to Co-Management: Conserving Landscapes at Risk of Wildfire in the American West

16 Transboundary Conservation: Migration and Fragmentation Across Conservation Landscapes

20 Carbon Sequestration and Climate Justice in Cities

22 , Equity, and Inclusion for Indigenous Americans A COLLABORATION AMONG: Conservation Conversations • Boise State University’s Andrus Center for Public Policy is an unprecedented • Colorado State University’s Salazar Center for North American 24 Conservation and : Challenges collaboration among institutes Conservation and Solutions to Keeping Parks and Public Lands and research centers at nine • Ecosystem Workforce Program the University of Oregon and from Being Loved to Death universities that explores Oregon State University the conservation challenges • University of California-Berkeley’s Institute for Parks, People, and of the future and identifies Biodiversity specific policies, programs, and • University of Colorado’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural strategies to help secure the , Energy, and the Environment at Colorado Law long-term health of the nation’s • University of Montana’s O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain natural resources, wildlife, and West landscapes, and broaden the • University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute for Environment benefits for all Americans. and Natural Resources • Utah State University’s Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Introduction

At the beginning of the 20th century, a movement began to conserve America’s lands, , wildlife, and other natural and cultural resources. Promoted by political leaders, scientists, emerging conservation organizations, and scholars, this movement advocated for the conservation of flora and fauna; protection of lands and waters; and the celebration of nature, our history and culture. The emerging conservation movement was the catalyst for establishing our national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges; the national , wild and scenic rivers, and trails systems; local, state, and regional park systems and land trusts; and a system of laws and regulations to guide the protection and management of our natural resources.

Two decades into the second century of American conservation, the health of our lands, waters, and wildlife, and, ultimately, ourselves and our environment, are increasingly at risk. International experts have highlighted the impacts of climate change, the accelerating loss of the world’s biodiversity, and the consequences of both for society and the global economy.

Today, American conservation confronts the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, a global pandemic, skeptics of these threats, a massive federal deficit, economic hardship, social injustice, and political divisions that threaten our . Yet, at the same time, people continue to explore new ways to work together to use science, collaboration, and innovation to advance efforts to protect our environment, conserve our natural legacy, and broaden its benefits for all Americans.

To explore these issues and others toward framing a vision for 21st century conservation and ways to accelerate progress in addressing them, eight institutes affiliated with nine universities came together in the spring and summer of 2020 to convene a series of “Conservation Conversations.” These conversations brought together experts to share cutting edge understanding to inform the future of conservation on a range of pressing issues including climate change and biodiversity management; co-management to reduce wildland fire risk; conservation’s contribution to rural economies; transboundary conservation; carbon sequestration and climate justice in cities; inclusion and co-management for native Americans; and the increasing challenge of managing the impacts of outdoor recreation on our public lands.

The following report includes brief summaries of each of these Conservation Conversations highlighting some of the observations and recommendations that resulted. All of the conversations, including expert presentations and their responses to questions raised by audience participants, can be found at www.conservationconversations.org.

4 5 step in biodiversity conservation, and must be Three actions can help protect followed with effective management of the nature under climate change: resources. Local conservation efforts, led by local Biodiversity Conservation Effectiveness and/or indigenous people can be one of the most effective strategies. within US Protected Areas 1. Reduce the pollution from fossil fuel burning that causes • Meet the targets for fossil fuel reduction. CONVERSATION DATE: July 29, 2020 climate change. While the Paris agreement is primarily designed 2. Use climate change data to HOST: Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity, University of California, Berkeley to reduce fossil fuel dependence, it is also key to MODERATOR: Jon Jarvis, Chairman of the Board for the Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity at the prioritize land that improves biodiversity conservation. Just meeting the Paris University of California, Berkeley and former Director of the Service habitat connectivity for plant agreement would reduce species by 2/3.

and animal species to move as • At the local park level, encourage risk taking and biomes shift. prioritize protection of biodiversity refugia. 3. Conserve existing refugia, places Park and protected area managers should encourage risk taking and priority actions to that may be more stable under BACKGROUND use biodiversity hotspots to prioritize and move beyond conserve species that are the most vulnerable to individual species to ecosystems and connectivity. climate change. The concept of protecting 30% of the planet climate change. by 2030 comes from the Campaign for Nature, Dr. Patrick Gonzales – Associate Adjunct Professor, • Put land conservation on par with public health. supported by the Wyss Foundation and hundreds UC Berkeley, and Principal Climate Change Scientist, The COVID19 pandemic has demonstrated a strong of organizations. It is expected to be featured in the US existing refugia, places that may be more stable interest in the public to access parks and public upcoming Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in 2021 Human caused climate change is contributing to under climate change. lands and the relationship of health and nature. hosted in China. The panelists explored the current species extinctions, but only 15% of global land is effectiveness of biodiversity conservation, especially protected and only one-third of that has had an Jane Rogers – Chief of Science and Resource in light of climate change, within existing national assessment of effectiveness. Cars, power plants, , Joshua Tree National Park parks, wilderness areas, national conservation , and other human sources emit twice Joshua Tree National Park is a biodiversity hotspot areas and other legally protected federal and state as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as with unique elevational gradients intersecting both public lands and discussed actions needed to meet ecosystems can naturally absorb. This fundamental the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. The park lends itself the CBD goals of 30 by 30. The State of California imbalance has intensified the greenhouse effect, to ambitious landscape management goals but is recently committed to achieving the 30 by 30 goal. heating land and waters globally. Climate change also stressed by invasive annual grasses which have has exposed the US national parks, particularly in increased fire frequency and intensity, as well as CONVERSATION SUMMARY California, to more severe increases in heat and by drought. With scientific support, management is Dr. Justin Brashares –­ UC Berkeley Professor, G.R. & aridity than the country as a whole. Climate change focused on protecting vulnerable Joshua trees. Using W.M. Goertz Chair has driven the of cloud forest amphibians modeling to determine where Joshua trees would The 30 by 30 concept has surprising bipartisan in and the local loss of desert birds in persist under various climate change scenarios, the support around the world and in California. The California. Climate change is causing biome shifts park can focus where to take action. The park is using key questions are: What are we trying to protect? around the world, including upslope shifts of forest in volunteers and fire staff to protect Joshua tree refugia Where are we protecting it? How are we protecting . Climate change has doubled from and fire, creating the equivalent biodiversity and what are the benchmarks for the area burned by wildfire over natural levels in the to “defensible space.” success? Who is at the table for the decisions? The western US. Three actions can help protect nature decisions must include local, state, tribal, private under climate change: (1) Reduce the pollution POLICY INSIGHTS and international stakeholders to determine from fossil fuel burning that causes climate change, • Support and empower small, local, organizations how to allocate billions of dollars. Historically, we (2) Use climate change data to prioritize land that such as local land conservancies. prioritized land acquisition based on availability and improves habitat connectivity for plant and animal Designation of protected areas is just the first affordability rather than science. New systems can species to move as biomes shift, (3) Conserve

6 7 than standard forest practices. Well managed a Federal Land Endowment, breaking long-term fiscal forests provide a wide range of ecosystem benefits dependence on federal revenue-sharing payments but landowners are only compensated for small at the county-level can help alleviate negative fiscal Reframing Conservation as an Economic number of benefits. Incentivizing practices that impacts from conservation. support a wider range of ecosystem services will Driver and Stimulus to Rural Communities ensure forest and watershed management in ways Develop a forest carbon leasing program to provide that benefit people and the environment. access to carbon markets for non-industrial forest owners and incentivize sustainable timber practices CONVERSATION DATE: August 13th, 2020 Erik Glenn – Executive Director of the Colorado and increased carbon sequestration. HOST: Ruckelshaus Institute, University of Wyoming Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust MODERATOR: Dr. Drew Bennett, Ruckelshaus Institute, University of Wyoming Erik highlighted the case of Kim, Colorado, a New conservation tools are needed to allow rural community of roughly 100 people in the rural land managers and landowners to capitalize on their eastern part of the state. Recognizing the important natural assets and create new sources of revenue in conservation values of the region, state and private rural communities while also directing conservation foundation investments in conservation easements actions to areas of high conservation value. Described helped transition two multi-generational ranches in detail in Forest Carbon Reserve Program, carbon However, especially in isolated counties in the West BACKGROUND to the next generation. The ranching families leasing programs could be modeled after the with high percentages of public land, fiscal policy is USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program and provide Conserved lands are increasingly recognized as also emphasized the need to support the local critical for local governments realizing such benefits annual rental payments to landowners for forest natural assets that produce significant economic community and motivated the conservation funders from conservation. Local government budgets can management practices that sequester carbon. benefits through the suite of ecosystem services they to invest in the Mustang Pavilion and Education be economically pinched when conservation reduces generate. Conservation can also help revitalize rural Center – a community amenity that has become revenues from mineral and timber extraction on Incentivize conservation easements based on economies through investments in natural solutions a regional hub of social and economic activity federal lands, and may be unable or unwilling to raise ecosystem services they provide to support to climate change (e.g., carbon ), labor for that hosts over 100 events a year. This example revenue through local taxes that can capitalize on conservation on private lands and rural economies. ecological restoration, and public lands designations demonstrated how conservation, social, and economic activity generated through conservation. that are a draw for visitors and new residents. economic goals can be jointly pursued and mutually Conservation protects natural assets that provide Focusing on fiscal issues from federal to local levels This webinar examined the role of conservation reinforcing. Erik also described recent economic a range of benefits to society and have substantial can help identify strategies to maximize the economic in stimulating investment and diversifying local studies showing the economic impacts of incentives economic value. Yet, conservation programs often benefits of conservation and foster local support. economies. Appreciating the economic contributions for conservation easements in Colorado. These do not recognize these benefits. Pilot efforts are of conservation can help expand conservation Brent Davies – Vice President of Forests and studies showed that every dollar of state investment underway in Colorado constituencies, guide policy reforms, and inform Ecosystem Services at Ecotrust in easements resulted in $4 to $12 of benefits to the to develop mechanisms investments to address economic declines in rural Forest and watershed restoration can stimulate state and that $80 million in federal US Farm Bill to tie incentives for communities in the West. significant job creation while producing natural investments over 10 years generated $176 million conservation easements $1 state resource commodities. Ecotrust’s work has also of new economic activity - with 80% of economic to the ecosystem investment in CONVERSATION SUMMARY shown that increasing demand for climate-smart activity directed to rural economies.. services or natural conservation capital they protect– Dr. Ray Rasker – Executive Director of Headwaters forest products can incent conservation efforts easements POLICY INSIGHTS rather than existing Economics that result in enhanced stream buffers that benefit methods that typically Ray outlined seven economic benefits that and sequester 30% more carbon Establish a federal land endowment that decouples compensate based conservation provides to local communities: revenue to rural communities from extractive activities on public lands. This could be done through on forgone real estate • tourism A $1 million investment in watershed the Forest Health for Rural Stability Act (S. 1693) development potential. • commodity production restoration creates 19 to 24 jobs on introduced in 2019. • business location average – equal to or higher than • ecosystem services Ensuring local government fiscal policy is aligned $4-12 benefits • lifestyle migration similar investments in transportation with conservation is critical - including a focus on to the state • recruiting talent infrastructure, , or the structure of state and local taxes to capitalize on conservation benefits. Described in detail in Building • and attracting retirees building retrofits.

8 9 scientific capacity. Tribes and their staff scientists are CONTACTS working actively to improve environmental conditions Alice Madden: and can provide knowledge and capacity to improve [email protected] Another Way of Knowing: Indian Tribes, management. They touched on how the principles of TK and collaborative management also Charles Wilkinson: Collaborative Management & Public Lands would be invaluable in river basin management plans, [email protected] citing the Klamath River as an example. CONVERSATION DATE: August 25, 2020 Jim Enote: [email protected] HOST: Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment, University of Colorado POLICY INSIGHTS School of Law The panelists suggested several strategies that the Daniel Cordalis: MODERATOR: Alice Madden, Executive Director, GWC at Colorado Law, and Charles Wilkinson, Moses Lasky incoming administration could use to integrate TK into [email protected] Professor of Law Emeritus and Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Colorado Law land (and ) management. Bios available at: • Each federal agency with land management www.conservationconversations.org/ responsibilities should establish a position that holds webinar-indian-Tribes-collaborative- explicit responsibility to ensure that all relevant Tribes management have an early seat at the table wherever resource Nation, practicing natural resources and Indian law BACKGROUND management decisions are being made. attorney; Jim Enote, Zuni tribal member, CEO of the The Presidential Proclamation establishing the Colorado Plateau Foundation ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Bears Ears National Monument in December of • Collaboration between federal agencies and Tribes • Presidential Proclamation- 2016 included two unique features that would Traditional knowledge (TK) generally refers to must be maintained throughout all planning, Establishment of the Bears Ears ensure these lands, and the culture and history holistic knowledge systems embedded in the decision-making, and management actions where National Monument, December 2016, they contain, would be protected forever. Based cultural traditions of indigenous communities. Tribal interests are involved. https://obamawhitehouse.archives. on negotiations with a coalition of Tribes (Hopi, It is a broader sphere of knowledge based on • In addition to being at the table, Tribal representatives gov/the-press-office/2016/12/28/ Navajo, Ute Mountain Ute, Ute, and Pueblo of centuries of living close to nature. TK includes deep must be treated as decision-makers. proclamation-establishment-bears- Zuni), Bears Ears would be managed in an understanding of the properties of plants and ears-national-monument entirely new way. The secretaries of the relevant animals, the functioning of complex ecosystems, • Federal agencies should move forward with agencies were directed to meaningfully engage the cultural and historical significance, and detailed establishing collaborative management programs • Modern Native Movement- Building on with a commission (made up of a representative techniques for use and management passed down with Tribes that integrate TK and management the Colorado Plateau, Colorado Plateau from each of the five Tribes) in developing and from generation to generation. practices based on western sciences. Foundation Report, Spring 2020, https:// implementing a collaborative management plan coloradoplateaufoundation.org/wp- and “shall carefully and fully consider integrating Panelists noted that the creation of the Bears Ears • Federal agencies should provide funding to content/uploads/2020/07/Modern- the traditional and historical knowledge and National Monument was an excellent example of compensate Tribes for the time and resources that they Native-Movement-Building-On-The- special expertise of the Commission.” how TK can be incorporated into land management contribute to collaborative management programs. Colorado-Plateau.pdf decisions. The Proclamation highlighted the value In 2017, President Trump issued a proclamation • Federal agency scientists should work with Tribes’ of TK and emphasized that TK can help ensure the • The Proposed Bears Ears National to shrink the size of Bears Ears by 85 percent and scientific staffs to share information and collaborate landscape in managed in a sustainable manner. The Monument, Grand Canyon to “return certain lands to multiple use, removing on management decisions. panelists discussed the ways that different Tribes Trust, Winter 2016, https://www. them from the boundaries of the national used the resources available in Bears Ears. They • Administration directives should use language grandcanyontrust.org/advocatemag/ monument.” Trump’s action is the subject of several articulated a vision for collaborative management that requires agencies to incorporate TK into fall-winter-2016/proposed-bears- federal lawsuits. Plaintiffs assert the reductions fall in Bears Ears and beyond that would be based management decisions. ears-national-monument outside the scope of the president’s authority under on landscapes as connected living systems (as the , and are therefore illegal. opposed to a series of discrete parts), and where TK • The use of TK must be controlled by the Tribes, and • Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, would be deeply integrated into land use decisions. each individual Tribe must have control over its own https://bearsearscoalition.org/ CONVERSATION SUMMARY The speakers emphasized that modern Tribes are TK. Federal agencies must respect decisions by Tribes Panelists: Daniel Cordalis, member of the Navajo sovereign governments and often have substantial to preserve the confidentiality of certain information.

10 11 3. The past is a poor guide to the future. Knowledge about historical fire and the effectiveness of past wildfire management strategies is From Parallel Play to Co-Management: insufficient for future management decisions, due to expansion of the wildland-urban interface, Conserving Landscapes at Risk of Wildfire increasing length of fire seasons and severity and size of wildfires, decreasing resilience of forests in the American West to wildfire, negative feedback loops, and climate change. This leads to lack of a frame of reference CONVERSATION DATE: September 9th, 2020 for policy solutions. HOST: Ecosystem Workforce Program in collaboration between the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Dr. Emily Jane Davis – Associate Director of University of Oregon, and the College of Forestry, Oregon State University; co-sponsored by the Northwest Fire Science Consortium Ecosystem Workforce Program; Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at Oregon State University MODERATOR: Dr. Cassandra Moseley, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society ORGANIZER: Dr. Heidi Huber-Stearns, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon The vast private lands in the western range from large parcels owned by corporate ranchers and timber investment entities to small parcels owned by individuals and families. This ownership doesn’t equitably reflect the US population, being predominantly owned by male, white, and BACKGROUND sometimes beneficial force, but is also a non-Hispanic landowners. Because of differing dangerous and disruptive force. Because of The frequency of large, severe wildfires has management objectives for these parcels of land this paradox, policy makers are left to their own increased over the past 20 years, calling attention and their disparate nature, this mixed ownership interpretations and discretion, making policy to the fragmented, sometimes conflicting landscape poses both potential conservation solutions ambiguous. approaches to natural resource conservation assets and risks when thinking about wildfire across a landscape. Opportunities for conservation and across different jurisdictions and agencies. 2. The authority and responsibility for wildfire stronger interconnection across private forests and Reducing threats and enhancing conservation management is distributed across different rangelands include: benefits from wildfire will require synergistic levels of government. A diffuse and fragmented collaboration and coordination to span these institutional landscape has resulted from wildfire 1. Wildfire is a manifestation of climate change disconnects and concerted policy changes response and management involving multiple and a gateway to stewardship. Landowners are promoting and emphasizing fire risk reduction and actors and organizations with differing missions, concerned about wildfire and drought, stemming reintroduction of fire into the landscape. mandates, values, cultures, and capacities. from climate change, and are motivated to Wildfire response and management require participate in landscape-scale, cross-boundary CONVERSATION SUMMARY cooperative, coordinated, collective action, but a wildfire risk reduction projects that will increase Dr. Tony Cheng – Director of Colorado Forest lack of policies and institutional frameworks make the resilience of their land. Restoration Institute; Professor at Colorado State this challenging. University Department of Forest and Rangeland 2. Many recognize and support fire’s historic role Stewardship in shaping ecosystems. Landowners recognize Intermixed landownership and jurisdictional the natural role of fire in the landscape and The past is a poor guide to the future. boundaries in the contribute want to use controlled, prescribed fire to reduce to challenges around wildfire policy and Knowledge about historical fire ecology wildfire risk. However, lack of enabling conditions, management, including: and the effectiveness of past wildfire including smoke permitting, liability, training, and availability of personnel to conduct and lead 1. Wildfire poses a paradox. Wildfire is management strategies is insufficient for prescribed burns limit implementation. simultaneously a natural, necessary and future management decisions

12 13 fire management. For example, on condition of receiving federal funding for their wildfire Wildfire is a manifestation of climate operations, states could be required to develop change and a gateway to stewardship. statewide Wildland Fire Management Action Plans Landowners are concerned about (akin to state Forest Action Plans) that include specifications for wildland fire use. This also wildfire and drought, stemming from provides opportunity to advance prescribed fire climate change, and are motivated to performance measures for states. participate in landscape-scale, cross- • Increase capacity of landowners and states to boundary wildfire risk reduction projects respond to fire, implement prescribed fire, and complete mitigation projects. Federal agency leadership and directives must increase support for funding FEMA pre-disaster mitigation, State and Private Forestry National Fire Capacity and 3. Wildfire galvanizes cooperation across lines. related support. Grants and cost-shares through Wildfire creates the opportunity for collective the Farm Bill for training, capacity-building and action to suppress wildfires in rangeland qualification-building for non-federal, local-level settings, particularly through the use of fire services could help landowners handle larger rangeland fire protection agencies. fires to benefit future risk management, forage production, and restoration. Creating a program Tyson Bertone-Riggs – Policy Analyst for Rural that uses a portion of existing suppression dollars Voices for Conservation Coalition to provide grants to local government and Scientific consensus shows that reintroduction of community-based fire services for wildland fire fire in the form of prescribed and managed fire equipment would increase capacity to handle and reforms made within land management or green energy plan. Carbon markets should be is required to restore environmental equilibrium larger wildfires, including to manage some agencies and Office of Personnel Management more responsive to the need for some ecosystems and reduce fire risk and severity. Current wildfires in mild to moderate conditions when guidance, as needed. to occasionally burn to avoid massive losses of policies, practices, and cultures of federal land fire has the most ecological and risk reduction carbon all at once. Funding to advance and scale management agencies do not sufficiently value. In addition, increasing federal funding and • Prioritize large-scale, longer-term, and up woody biomass energy could support markets promote this. Therefore, the challenge lies in suppression response for states and localities purposeful restoration and risk reduction. at scale for small, nonmerchantable biomass from developing policies and practices that promote the practicing meaningful land use planning Decouple the federal focus on the commodity fire risk reduction thinning. use of fire and emphasize fire risk reduction, rather could increase community wildfire protection, production model and annual outputs, by than full suppression, by agencies. Not only would mitigation and fuels reduction work, and capacity revising the performance measures and • Improve conditions for forest laborers. Much fuel this result in mitigation of fire risk, it would also for managed and prescribed fire. incentives structure for the US Forest Service. reduction work is labor intensive and currently provide an opportunity to create jobs, particularly Annual output targets prevent meaningful relies heavily upon a Latinx workforce facing in rural communities. • Change federal land management agency planning and implementation focused on unsafe working conditions and low wages. staffing and increase funding to build staffing. multi-year, complex goals, including climate Unenforced labor laws and the structure of the POLICY INSIGHTS By examining staffing and shifting away from adaptation, and carbon management. Such low-bid federal contracting system exacerbate seasonal staffing, federal land management • Update laws to expand options for cooperative revisions cannot be conducted by the Forest these poor working conditions. When land agencies can increase workforce capacity for federal-state-local fire management. Service alone. Rather, it would require individuals management agencies undertake efforts to prescribed and managed fire while simultaneously Modernize wildfire suppression laws such as on oversight and appropriations committees to increase the pace and scale of restoration providing jobs for rural communities. A national the Weeks Act of 1911, Clarke-McNary of 1924, engage in making these changes as well. projects and prescribed fire, they should consider review of the existing staffing model (including and the Cooperative Forestry Act of 1978 and who does this work, including provisions for job classifications, 1039 positions, and appropriate • Explicitly incorporate wildfire risk and potential incentivize changes to state policy to focus bolstering labor law enforcement and providing versus legacy positions) should be undertaken loss of forest and rangelands into any climate more on cooperative federal-state-local resources for forest workers.

14 15 To achieve more effective and long-lasting in Transboundary Conservation: Migration the US, both physical boundaries— roads, dams, state borders, agency and Fragmentation Across Conservation jurisdictions—and cultural boundaries— Landscapes ideas and values about wildlife and land use—must be transcended. CONVERSATION DATE: September 14, 2020 HOST: Andrus Center, Boise State University

MODERATOR: Dr. Emily Wakild, School of Public Service and Andrus Center, Boise State University of the transboundary effects of the range across the international divide. Along with international coordination, Native American groups must be brought into this process for better outcomes.

Dr. Lisa Meierotto - Assistant Professor in the School BACKGROUND CONVERSATION SUMMARY of Public Service at Boise State University It is now common knowledge that species Dr. Jodi Brandt - Associate Professor in Human- Militarization in the border region has resulted in conservation must span political, jurisdictional, and Environment Systems at Boise State University compromised ecosystems and high loss of human cultural boundaries. But what does this look like on Private lands in the western US, and in particular life. At the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, a the ground? How might we leverage this insight working lands, are very important for large landscape southern Arizona reserve that abuts the US-Mexico to produce stable conservation outcomes? Using conservation goals in part because they have border, a history of collaboration for endangered examples drawn from the US-Mexico and US- disproportionately more mesic (wetland) resources species changed dramatically in the 1990s with two borders as well as the High Divide, this panel examined than public lands. But currently, human population pieces of legislation. The US Border Patrol’s Prevention popular strategies, such as conservation easements, growth is rapidly converting relatively open working through Deterrence Desert Wilderness Act (1994) shifted and under-recognized challenges, such as border lands to development, creating a conflict with immigrants away from urban areas and into the desert. militarization, to conservation across North America. conservation goals. Including private land protection The Arizona Desert Wilderness Act (1990) created 1.1 Our discussants provided a range of disciplinary in land-use planning would allow a more systematic million acres of wilderness. These two contradictory perspectives with special attention to the socio- and targeted implementation of habitat connectivity policies pitted human traffic against wilderness political contexts in which conservation emerges. and strategic placement of conservation where it designations, compromising both people and wild would have the greatest effects. species like the Sonoran pronghorn, fewer than 500 of To achieve more effective and long-lasting wildlife which exist today between the US and Mexico. conservation in the US, both physical boundaries— Rocky Barker - author of Saving All the Parts: roads, dams, state borders, agency jurisdictions— Reconciling Economics and the Dr. Matt Williamson - Assistant Professor in Human- and cultural boundaries—ideas and values about Act and Scorched Earth: How the Fires of Yellowstone Environment Systems at Boise State University wildlife and land use—must be transcended. These Changed America Wildlife like the American plains bison need to be able two levels require different commitments. The In February of 2019 the last two caribou were to move across landscapes to access resources, find physical boundaries require creative infrastructure to taken out of Idaho and released within a northern mates, and avoid climate change. Conserving wildlife make life better for the wild. The cultural boundaries population in Canada, marking a tragic fate for connectivity requires overcoming both biophysical require directing resources and commitment the caribou: extinction in its native range within barriers (such as mountain ranges or roads) as well into education, outreach, collaboration, and even Idaho. Large species like caribou require large as social, economic, and institutional resistance diplomacy. The physical boundaries may be easier areas of protected habitat across borders. While across geographies and jurisdictions. Given the to address because immediate results can be the US, via the Endangered Species Act, ended old- need to coordinate across boundaries, collaborative obtained with direct investment. The cultural change growth hemlock logging in caribou habitat, Canada governance arrangements where authority and is a longer project but also very public-facing and promoted rural development and timber harvests. accountability are shared will be vital for reducing the likely has transformational dividends in the long run. Lopsided measures were not enough because impacts of socio-political fragmentation.

16 17 CONTACTS Emily Wakild: Private lands in the western US, POLICY INSIGHTS [email protected] and in particular working lands, are • Design strong land use policies that consider Rocky Barker: very important for large landscape multiple dimensions [email protected] conservation goals in part because they • Utilize diverse mechanisms to support the Jodi Brandt: have disproportionately more mesic protection of mesic (wetland) systems on [email protected] (wetland) resources than public lands. private land

• Create more targeted placements of private Lisa Meierotto: land conservation to provide greater benefits [email protected]

• Collaborate on conservation across Matt Williamson: international borders [email protected]

• Support collaborative governance regimes Michelle K. Berry: such as the Iinii Initiative [email protected]

• Utilize treaties to simplify operational RESOURCES challenges (despite difficulties of ratification) Academic Research:

• Rose A. Graves, Matthew A. Williamson, R. Travis Belote, Jodi S. Brandt, “Quantifying the contribution ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS of conservation easements to large- • Identify existing borders inhibiting wildlife landscape conservation,” Biological habitat connectivity Conservation 232(2019)83-96.

• Support holistic land-use planning combined • Lisa Meierotto, Immigration, with easements Environment and Security on the US- • Conservation as democracy: Invest in Mexico Border (Palgrave Macmillan collaborative partnerships 2020.)

• Draw strategically and effectively on external Websites Mentioned: expertise, including NGOs • PAD-US Gap Analysis Project • Provide accessible grants for public lands https://www.usgs.gov/core-science- education systems/science-analytics-and- synthesis/gap/science/protected- • Try Peace Parks areas

• Create a fast response team for conservation • The coordination Handbook from the Trust for Public Land. https://www.tpl.org/ conservation-easement-handbook

18 19 Carbon Sequestration and Climate Justice in Cities

CONVERSATION DATE: October 14, 2020 HOST: Salazar Center for North American Conservation, Colorado State University MODERATOR: Dominique Gómez, Program Director, Colorado State University

BACKGROUND public health and environmental benefits of increased tree canopy combined with the urgent need to not US cities face a host of interrelated challenges in only reduce emissions but actively 2020. A nationwide history of racism in housing and capture emissions, it is a wise investment. environmental injustice have forced many lower wealth households and communities of color to Targeting tree planting efforts to low-wealth live in more polluted, hotter neighborhoods with communities of color could have significant public less tree canopy and green space. At the same health benefits and offer a sustained workforce and As US cities face increasing days of private investments through carbon and ecosystem time, as global greenhouse gas emissions continue economic recovery program of tree planting and services credits to maintain investments in trees dangerous heat, trees can reduce urban to rise, cities must reduce carbon outputs while maintenance. A recent analysis conducted by the (watering, tree health, maintenance) and jobs preparing for climate change impacts. Investments World Resources Institute projected that an annual temperatures 7-20°F and energy costs for originally created through tree planting. Integrate in urban forests and green space, particularly in investment of $4-$4.5 billion could create more than shaded structures up to 7% social cost of carbon and other factors in establishing historically under-resourced communities, could be 150,000 jobs and $6-$12 billion in annual economic market values for the many services being provided an essential intersectional approach to addressing activity.3 In addition, a recent analysis conducted by by urban forests and green infrastructure. inequitable experiences of climate change in urban the US Forest Service, urban forest ecosystems in the US POLICY INSIGHTS Enact supporting policy: Utilize existing policy neighborhoods while tacking carbon drawdown. are currently estimated to sequester 37 million tons of Invest in urban forests: Direct substantial public frameworks such as The Climate Stewardship Act carbon annually and provide a combined value of over investments ($>5 billion annually) to urban forest 4 of 2019 (S. 2452; H.R. 4269) which would support CONVERSATION SUMMARY $18 billion annually in ecosystem services. protection, maintenance, and expansion. the planting of more than 15 billion trees to revive Panelists: Dr. Melissa McHale, Colorado State Design for equity and workforce opportunity: deforested landscapes and expand urban tree cover, University; Brett KenCairn, Urban Drawdown Design urban forest funding programs to address and reestablish the Civilian Conservation Corps to Initiative Founding Director; Leslie Jones, American the historical inequities in urban forest and green offer workforce opportunities in conservation. Forests; Sean Terry, The Trust for Public Land Investments in urban forests and green infrastructure distribution and target low wealth The urban tree canopy offers a host of benefits in space, particularly in historically under- and communities of color for initial investment. This cities. As US cities face increasing days of dangerous resourced communities, could be an includes provisions that ensure that the economic 1 heat, trees can reduce urban temperatures 7-20°F essential intersectional approach to and workforce opportunities that are created 1. https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-trees-and- and energy costs for shaded structures up to 7%2. through this funding are directed primarily to these vegetation-reduce-heat-islands addressing inequitable experiences of 2. https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/53420 Trees also reduce stormwater runoff, improve air historically underserved areas. 3. https://www.wri.org/publication/restoring-trees-landscape- quality, reduce effects of wind, support biodiversity, climate change in urban neighborhoods creating-shovel-ready-jobs-across-united-states Leverage private investments: Encourage and and sequester carbon. Given the range of social, while tacking carbon drawdown. 4. https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2018/nrs_2018_ support cities applying for federal funds to leverage Nowak_003.pdf

20 21 by the fact that only 14.5 percent of environmental are the most underrepresented minority group in organizations engage in diversity, equity, and natural resource programs at major colleges and inclusion activities. universities (not including tribal colleges).

Environmental Justice, Equity, and The University of Montana initiated a holistic review Inclusion for Indigenous Americans Some Categories of Environmental processes that lessens reliance on GRE scores and Injustices Affecting Indigenous Americans grades and devotes faculty and staff to supporting Native students and their unique needs. Bishop CONVERSATION DATE: October 21, 2020 • Genocide, displacement, and expulsion emphasized that his department has gradually HOST: O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, University of Montana from ancestral lands learned the importance of building trust and MODERATOR: Jim Lyons, Lecturer, WA Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana • Treaty rights violations, threats to tribal respecting cultures different than Western culture. sovereignty • Threats to religious practices and sacred POLICY INSIGHTS sites

• Nuclear testing, military, and hazardous Issue a Presidential Proclamation and Executive Order to acknowledge stewardship of Indigenous people waste disposal Indigenous environmental injustices. These places as the original occupants of designated “wilderness” BACKGROUND • Failure to meaningfully involve in decision and their interconnected stories of racism, white lands. Require federal agencies to acknowledge and There are 567 distinct sovereign Native American making and share power supremacy, and state-sponsored violence have encourage (through collaborative agreements) use of nations throughout the United States, overseeing • Inadequate compensation for extraction of catalyzed the to challenge traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and indigenous nearly 60 million acres of land rich in natural and natural resources its own history and “mythology as white saviors of the expertise in future land management. Establish a cultural resources. In spite of their successes, • Improper accounting and payment of natural world.” She advocated for revisiting history center for training federal land managers in TEK and Indigenous Americans continue to struggle with royalties from trust lands and recognizing how efforts to “erase Indigenous inequities created by the mostly white, male related native management practices (such as fire Adapted from Tom B. K. Goldtooth, “Indigenous Nations: Summary histories and peoples from the landscape” shaped management) to improve their capacity to increase conservation establishment. Most were forced to of Sovereignty and its Implications for ,” in the conservation movement. Noting that the Sierra leave their ancestral lands with little or no say over Environmental Justice: Issues, Policies, and Solutions, ed. Bunyan Bryant resilience of public lands. Club recently decided “to try to repair the harm we’ve (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1995). future management. Even today, Native Americans [they’ve] caused,” La Pier asked, “What will this entail? Direct the Department of Education to work with are rarely consulted in management and use of Will they work to return lands taken from Indigenous private higher-education organizations (such as the natural resources or treatment of native lands. Their peoples? And uphold treaty rights? Will they erase the Dr. Chad Bishop - Director of the Wildlife Biology National Association of State Land Grant Colleges expertise and traditional ecological knowledge is myth of ‘wilderness’ and instead push forward the true Program and Associate Professor in the Department and Universities) to evaluate and revise standards for not respected nor are they provided opportunities story of America as a peopled landscape?” of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University universities and improve opportunities for Indigenous to secure employment in the conservation field. of Montana students to qualify for and receive advance degrees in The conservation establishment continues to Dr. Robin Saha - Associate Professor of Bishop emphasized that many Native students dream wildlife and natural resource management. inadequately engage with Indigenous Americans Environmental and Climate Change Studies at the of becoming biologists, especially for their Tribes, but seeking to improve management of tribal lands, University of Montana those dreams are hard to realize. Native Americans are Advance co-management and tribal management public lands, and associated ecosystems they have Saha highlighted several failures of productive the most underrepresented ethnicity in wildlife biology of indigenous lands. Federal and state agencies occupied for generations. engagement between federal land managers and educational programs and professions in spite of their should actively work with western tribal governments Indigenous tribes and suggested that diversity, strong connections to wildlife and natural resources to develop shared stewardship agreements through CONVERSATION SUMMARY equity, and inclusion in the conservation community and ecological knowledge that spans centuries. an expansion of authorities in the 2018 Omnibus and Dr. Rosalyn La Pier - Associate Professor of remains a tremendous obstacle to progress. He 2018 Farm bills. That authority is currently limited to Environmental Studies at University of Montana referenced a 2018 study of 2057 environmental NGOs Universities create opportunities for Native American collaboration with state governments. and the only enrolled Blackfeet tribal member to which highlighted the lack of diversity in their boards students to earn undergraduate degrees, but many Incentivize diversity training. Require private receive tenure at the University and staff leading to unconscious bias, discrimination, wildlife and natural resources jobs require a master’s foundations, associations supporting conservation, and La Pier reflected on how Michael Brown’s murder by insular recruitment, and a lackluster effort to degree. Pathways into wildlife graduate degree environmental NGOs to undertake diversity training as police in Ferguson, Missouri, the Black Lives Matter address diversity. He emphasized that institutional programs have been largely nonexistent for Native a condition of grant funding and make more funding movement, the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, discrimination in the conservation movement is a American students. Graduate school recruitment available for that purpose. Make diversity training a the “Water is Life” movement, and the murder of “huge problem” with serious ramifications for Native at universities makes it extremely difficult for Native prerequisite for securing government contracts for work George Floyd in Minneapolis brought awareness to Americans, and that progress on this front is hindered students to be admitted, as a result of cultural bias in the Graduate Record Exam. In fact, Native Americans on western natural resource issues and public lands.

22 23 partnerships with other federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and the outdoor recreation industry. The #recreateresponsibly campaign, led by REI, Inc. Conservation and Outdoor Recreation: is a primary example. Another solution is leveraging Recreation.gov, the system for reserving recreation Keeping our Parks and Public Lands from settings, to help visitors better understand ways they can have desirable experiences. The final solution Being Loved to Death is Shared Stewardship Agreements, which provide strong legal precedence for partnerships between CONVERSATION DATE: October 28, 2020 states and the Forest Service. Oregon has an HOST: Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, Utah State University exemplary shared stewardship agreement that can MODERATOR: Dr. Jordan W. Smith., Director, Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, Utah State University serve as a model for other regions and states.

Lewis Ledford - Director, National Association of State Park Directors America’s State Parks are the most visited of all public lands, with 813 million visits in 2019. A, but also a Plan B and Plan C for their time in the but ultimately decided not to implement, a ticked With the closures of many national parks in late BACKGROUND park. These communication strategies also need entry system in 2020, and is carefully evaluating the March of 2020, visitation to state parks increased Americans are loving their public lands to death. to convey messages of how visitors can recreate expectations of both local and non-local visitors dramatically. Twelve state park systems closed Over the past 10 years, visitation to all types of responsibly within park and protected areas. when considering management decisions. Accurately completely, and many others implemented National Park Service units increased by 16%, portraying expectations to future park visitors will be visitation restrictions. As of late October, six state • Support investments in outdoor recreation with national parks alone seeing a 28% increase. essential to them having a high-quality experience; park systems were completely open, while many infrastructure. The increase in use to parks and Visitation to many national parks reaches record conveying how visitors can recreate responsibly within were open with restrictions. For many state park protected areas will require increased investments levels every year. Visitation to national forests is the park. systems, visitation in the fall months has rebounded in outdoor recreation infrastructure. The Great up 5% over the past ten years as well, and while to levels above 2019. The parks that accommodated American Outdoors Act provides a significant visitation to state parks is up nearly 11% nationwide Michiko Martin - Director of Recreation, Heritage, & increased visitation the best have online reservation investment to meet these needs, however since 2009, operating budgets have declined by over Volunteer Resources, USDA Forest Service systems. Successful adaptation has also involved continued investments are needed to meet 21%. Recent research has estimated that state park The Forest Service saw extraordinary visitation in July, strong coordination with local and external future demand. Investments should be focused in systems will need $42 billion dollars in additional August, and September of 2020, with visits to day-use (federal) partners to communicate ways visitors popular destinations in an effort to concentrate appropriations and revenues to meet projected and Wilderness areas two- and three-times more can recreate responsibly. use and minimize the environmental impacts of demand. These are complex resource management than was recorded in 2015, respectively. Notably, first- dispersed use. challenges that will require focused and coordinated time visits increased by 150%. Consequently, national POLICY INSIGHTS policy efforts. forests have had to deal with waste-disposal, parking • Support the refinement of resource management • Support shared stewardship agreements. areas exceeding capacity, graffiti and vandalism, frameworks that provide guidance on allowable Shared stewardship agreements provide a CONVERSATION SUMMARY and resource damage. One of the primary ways that uses of park and protected areas. Create new strong legal precedent that allows federal Jeff Mow - Superintendent, Glacier National Park, the Forest Service is managing these challenges is or enhance existing frameworks, such as the and state land management agencies to National Park Service Recreation Opportunity Spectrum, that provide collaboratively identify, support, and fund the In 2020, Glacier National Park welcomed its 100 an effective solution to managing conflict and maintenance and development of outdoor millionth visitor. Peak visitation occurs over a very mitigating the ecological impacts of outdoor Over the past 10 years, visitation to all recreation resources. short period in mid-summer. Over the past several recreation within parks and protected areas. years, the park has seen increasing visitation from types of National Park Service units • Support coordinated communication strategies Any new or refined frameworks should be the general public and less from backcountry or increased by 16%, with national parks across park and protected areas management collaboratively developed through the Interagency more experienced visitors. This past year, the park’s alone seeing a 28% increase. Visitation agencies. These communication strategies Visitor Use Management Council. eastern entrance through the Blackfeet Reservation should be focused on managing the expectations to many national parks reaches record was closed. Consequently, the western entrance of visitors to parks and protected areas. This experienced long wait times. The park considered, levels every year. includes helping them develop not only a Plan

24 25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to the Salazar Center at Colorado State University for support in hosting the webinars. Emilene Ostlind edited the report and greatly improved the writing quality. We thank Jessica Perry with Creative Blue Yonder for the report design and layout. Conservation Conversations was originally envisioned by Jim Lyons and was led by a collaborative group that included Jim Lyons, Jon Jarvis, Drew Bennett, Beth Conover, Emily Jane Davis, Matthew Frank, Dominique Gómez, Heidi Huber-Stearns, Alice Madden, Jordan W. Smith, and Emily Wakild.