At this special listening session, representatives of the Conservation Leadership Forum will discuss three significant documents to attendees of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting – 1) A Vision and Purpose Document for Developing a National Fish and Wildlife Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; 2) A Guiding Principles Document for Developing a National Fish and Wildlife Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; and, 3) An Outline for “A Foundation for Common Action:  Principles for Fish and Wildlife Adaptation”.

The Conservation Leadership Forum includes more than 60 representatives of federal, state and nongovernmental organizations from across the conservation spectrum that have come together and taken a key first step toward building a collaborative national strategy to address the impacts of accelerating climate change on wildlife and the habitats upon which they depend.  The national fish and wildlife climate adaptation strategy would align multiple planning efforts at all levels of government; provide a blueprint for applying science-based information and tools to inform sound resource management decisions in the face of uncertainty; identify partnership opportunities; and target financial resources to highest priority needs.  Though the primary objective of the strategy is ensuring abundant, healthy, and distributed populations of fish and wildlife, leaders have noted the effort would be tied to a larger goal of improving quality of life for all Americans by providing clean water, clear air and “green” infrastructure critical to sustainable and healthy human communities. While investments in the strategy would be national, the group has agreed collaboration and information sharing must extend to the global community.