Resources

This publication is the result of collaboration among experts around the world and provides guidance for integrating connectivity into the planning and management of marine protected areas (MPAs). The 13 ‘Rules of Thumb’ are intended to support more consistent efforts by MPA managers and marine conservation professionals to implement connectivity conservation and measure progress towards global conservation targets.

Now that nearly a decade has passed since U.S. Forest Service included explicit requirements for maintaining or restoring ecological connectivity in its 2012 Planning Rule, it is timely to assess how the agency has implemented this connectivity mandate. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation conducted research on challenges and opportunities for integrating ecological connectivity into national forest planning and management. The following findings and recommendations—which address 1) science, 2) planning, 3) management, 4) partnerships and 5) regional coordination— are drawn from 45 key-informant interviews with Forest Service staff and partner organizations, and an analysis of 17 draft and final forest plans revised under the 2012 Rule.

This fact sheet explains habitat connectivity legislation Colorado, Senate Joint Resolution 21-021, which passed unanimously in 2021. This bipartisan-led legislation a) commissions report identifying wildlife corridors, their benefits, and voluntary policies and programs that would support willing landowners to improve habitat connectivity across the
landscape; b) encourages state agencies to build on Governor Jared Polis’ executive order on big game migration by collecting data on habitat connectivity for all native wildlife species; and c) establishes a working group to develop state policies to protect wildlife corridors.

The U.S. Forest Service’s 2012 planning rule requires National Forests to evaluate, protect, and/or restore ecological connectivity when revising land management plans. This document describes an approach for considering connectivity in forest planning that was developed for the Custer Gallatin National Forest and relies on freely available data to address the planning rule requirements. The result of this approach identified locations important for connectivity for multiple species and characterized CGNF’s role in supporting regional connectivity.

INVEST Act Press Release issued by Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, Endangered Species Coalition, Humane Society Legislative Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, National Parks Conservation Association, Wildlands Network, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

Public announcement of IUCN WCPA Guidelines for protecting the interconnections of nature to enhance protected areas, conserve biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change.

Landmark bipartisan legislation to protect wildlife corridors passes the U.S. House of Representatives.