The American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) recently completed a comprehensive list of policy-focused strategies to improve wildlife habitat, expand public access for hunting and fishing, and strengthen our nation’s long history of conservation success.
Titled “Wildlife for the 21st Century” (W21), this document was created through a collaborative process with contributions from a coalition of over 50 organizations linked together by their dedication to ensuring the vitality of our wildlife resources and providing sustainable public use and enjoyment of those resources under the science-based management of state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. W21 provides guidance regarding legislative priorities and makes strategic recommendations related to wildlife conservation and our hunting heritage to the next presidential administration. The latest edition is the sixth version of the series. Previous volumes were given to Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump.
The W21 recommendations are grounded in science and with regard to the success of the North American model of conservation. Recommendations related to wildlife and habitat conservation recognize the contributions of hunting as a sustainable and beneficial use of natural resources.
SCI played a role in helping to steer the development of the document, specifically the chapters on:
- Achieving greater results from an Improved Endangered Species Act (ESA) Program by helping species before ESA protection is needed and improving the ESA by reducing associated litigation.
- Requiring collaboration on big game migration corridors and habitat by improving transportation planning to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and strengthening federal-state coordination.
- Enhancing access for hunters and outdoor recreationists by maintaining robust funding for federal lands, roads, and trails, improving public access databases, and ensuring land transactions enhance federal land access.
“Safari Club International is a proud member of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, and proud of the collaborative efforts reflected in the latest volume of Wildlife for the 21st Century. This document will continue to help guide the administration and other elected officials in developing sound policies that prioritize the science-based management of our nation’s rich fish and wildlife resources while emphasizing the importance of public access to those resources. Hunting and fishing are woven into the cultural fabric of America. The strategies outlined in this document will help ensure that those activities remain sustainable and culturally relevant for generations to come,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin.
