Building Capacity in Plant Conservation

Building Capacity in Plant Conservation

Mary Pfaffko, Georgia Department of Natural Resources & Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (SePPCon 2016)

Mary Pfafftko, Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division emphasizes that the plant conservation needs can only be done with partnerships. She reviews the key elements of  State Wildlife Action Plans: species of greatest conservation need, key habitats, threats, conservation actions, monitoring plan, revision plan, coordination with federal, state and local agencies and Native American tribes, and public participation. She discusses funding opportunities for private landowners and NGOs, the restrictions on various funding sources, the states in the U.S that have authority to manage plants, and the differences in how each state approaches wildlife and rare plant management/ funding opportunities. She recommends models such as the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance as an effective way to engender collaborations to help conserve plants. She describes Restoring America’s Wildlife Act, a national effort to support State Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program and the Georgia Wildflower Preservation Act of 1973.

This work was presented at the Southeast Partners in Plant Conservation (SePPCon) 2016 Meeting. Learn more about SePPCon here.