Landscape Conservation Partnerships

Public lands in the West face tremendous challenges: encroaching land use changes from growing communities on their borders, fragmentation of wildlife habitat, high demand for a full range of recreation opportunities, and impacts related to climate change (such as drought and wildfire), among others. Citizens have always been important partners to federal land management agencies, and have shown great care and stewardship for their local public lands. Increasingly there is a recognition that these issues are interconnected and play out across a large landscape. To address these challenges, many partnerships have expanded their scope to be multi-issue, multi-jurisdictional, and focused on large landscape conservation.

The Sonoran Institute and Bureau of Land Management work together to foster collaborative partnerships and land stewardship across the incredible landscapes of the West.

Landscape Partnerships: Shared Lessons in Governance and Fundraising

In June 2010, the Sonoran Institute and the Bureau of Land Management convened a small group of landscape conservation partnerships to share best practices and lessons learned and discuss two issues of critical importance to sustaining partnerships: governance and fundraising.

The result of the workshop will be a guidebook compiling guiding principles and lessons learned.

Workshop PowerPoint Presentations:
To access presentations from our speakers at the workshop, click on the links below:

Luther Propst, Sonoran Institute—Welcome and context setting
Matt McKinney, PhD, University of Montana— Governance
Martin Goebel, Executive Director of Sustainable Northwest— Funding
Gary Tabor, Executive Director, Center for Large Landscape Conservation—Why Landscape Conservation is Important

Workshop Case Studies:
To read summary case studies developed by workshop participants, click on the links below:

Restore New Mexico
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative
California Coastal National Monument
Desert Managers Group
Blackfoot Challenge
Crown Managers Partnership
Utah Partners for Conservation & Development
Cienega Watershed Partnership
Northern Sierra Partnership
Mattole Restoration Council

Workshop Videos:

To hear interviews and stories about large-scale conservation projects from the Sonoran Institute and partnership groups in the field, click on the video images below:

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Luther Propst - Executive Director, Sonoran Institute - Collaborative Conservation on Large Landscapes; Why it Matters

Luther Propst, the Executive Director of the Sonoran Institute discusses the importance of collaboration and working partnerships on large landscape conservation initiatives. The interview was conducted at the BLM's National Training Center in Phoenix, AZ in June 2010.

Luther Propst - Executive Director, Sonoran Institute - Collaborative Conservation on Large Landscapes: Why it Matters from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo.

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Gary Burnett - Blackfoot Challenge, Montana: 

Jim Buthman interviews Gary Burnett, executive director of the Blackfoot Challenge group in Montana. Blackfoot Challenge coordinates efforts that conserve and enhance the natural resources and rural way of life throughout the Blackfoot River watershed. This video is 8:14 minutes in length. The interview took place in June, 2010. For more information on Blackfoot Challenge, click here to visit their website.

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Matt McKinney - University of Montana - Center for Natural Resources and the Environment

Jim Buthman interviews Matt McKinney of the University of Montana about collaboration involving large landscapes in the West. The video is 8:25 minutes in length. The interview was conducted in June 2010.

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Doug Burger - Restore New Mexico:

Doug Burger, BLM District Manager, discusses the purpose and mission of Restore Mexico in this video, which is 11:54 minutes in length. Restore New Mexico focuses in on water quantity and water quality issues, along with protection measures for wildlife habitat. This interview was conducted in June 2010. For more information on Restore New Mexico, visit: http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/restore_new_mexico.html

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Martin Goebel - President, Sustainable Northwest - Funding Mechanisms for Sustainability

Martin Goebel, President of Sustainable Northwest, presents a five-point outline associated with funding mechanisms for sustainability. Martin's presentation was associated with a BLM workshop held in Phoenix, Arizona in June 2010. The video of Martin is 32 minutes in length.

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Marcia deChadenedes - California Coastal National Monument

Jim Buthman interviews Marcia deChadenedes, an Outdoor Recreation Planner with the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) about unique partnerships and collaborative arrangements associated with preserving and protecting the vast monument area. The CCNM covers the entire coast of California (about 1,100 miles). This interview was conducted in June 2010, and is just over 16 minutes in length.

Marcia deChadenedes - California Coastal National Monument from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo. California Coastal National Monument: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/blm_special_areas/nm/ccnm.html

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Jeff Williamson - The History Behind the Cienega Watershed Partnership in Southern Arizona

Jim Buthman interviews Jeff Williamson of the Arizona Zoological Society about his role and knowledge of the Cienega Watershed Partnership in Southern Arizona. The Cienega Creek is a crucial water resource for the City of Tucson, AZ. This interview was conducted in June 2010 and is just under 16 minutes in length.

Jeff Williamson - The History Behind the Cienega Watershed Partnership in Southern Arizona from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo. Cienega Watershed Partnership: http://www.cienega.org

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Karen Simms - BLM - Governance and Fundings Issues Associated with Collaborative Partnerships

The BLM's Karen Simms discusses governance and fundings issues associated with collaborative partnerships, focusing on the BLM's role in helping to support the work of the Cienega Watershed Partnership in southern Arizona. Karen discusses how the BLM used techniques to encourage collaboration in the Partnership. This interview was conducted in June 2010, and is about 8 minutes in length.

Karen Simms - BLM - Governance and Fundings Issues Associated with Collaborative Partnerships from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo.

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Mary Sexton - Director of the Montana Dept. of Natural Resources & Conservation Discusses Collaboration in the Crown of the Contintent

Jim Buthman interviews Mary Sexton, Director of Montana's Dept. of Natural Resources & Conservation about large-scale collaboration initiatives. Mary focuses in on the work associated with the Crown of the Continent area of Montana, which includes Glacier National Park. The interview was conducted in June 2010, and is about 10 minutes in length.

Mary Sexton - Director, Montana Dept. of Natural Resources & Conservation Discusses Collaboration in the Crown of the Continent from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo.

For more information on the Crown Managers Partnership, visit: http://www.crownmanagers.org/

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Russell Scofield - Desert Managers Group, California - Discusses Collaboration and Governance

Jim Buthman interviews Russell Scofield, Coordinator for the U.S. Dept. of the Interior for the Desert Managers Group (DMG) in California. California has about 24 million acres of publicly-owned, and protected, desert lands. Conflicting demands for use of California desert lands make it imperative for governmental agencies to work cooperatively in support of agency missions, protection of desert resources, and public use. The DMG was established as the forum for government agencies to address and discuss issues of common concern. This interview was conducted in June 2010, and is about 18 minutes in length. For more information on DMG, visit: http://www.dmg.gov/

Russell Scofield - Desert Managers Group, California - Discusses Collaboration and Governance from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo.

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Hezekiah Allen, Co-Chair - Mattole Restoration Council, California

Jim Buthman interview Hezekiah Allen, Co-Chair of the No. California-based Mattole Restoration Council. Founded in 1983, the objectives and purpose of the Mattole Restoration Council are the restoration of natural systems in the Mattole River Watershed and their maintenance at sustainable levels of health and productivity, especially in regards to forests, fisheries, soil, and other plant and animal communities. For more information, visit: www.mattole.org. The interview was conducted in June 2010 and is about 12 minutes in length. Mattole Restoration Council:http://www.mattole.org

Hezekiah Allen, Co-Chair - Mattole Restoration Council, California from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo.

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Renee Dana - BLM - Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative

The BLM's Renee Dana of the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI), discusses the role of the Initiative and challenges associated with conservation efforts covering vast landscapes. Started in 2007, the WLCI covers about 18 million acres in southwest Wyoming. The interview was conducted in June 2010, and is about 15 minutes in length. For more information on the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, visit: http://www.wlci.gov/

Renee Dana - BLM - Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative from Sonoran Institute on Vimeo.