Learning From Your Mistakes - A New Approach To Conservation Partnerships

Abstract

Wildlife habitat conservation projects are often complicated, and they become increasingly so when working with a variety of funding partners. In addition, these projects can be politically charged when government agencies are involved. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has a variety of funding sources that are dedicated to wildlife habitat conservation, including the funding for mitigating wildlife impacts caused by construction of Libby and Hungry Horse dams in northwest Montana. After years of struggling to complete conservation projects, we developed a new approach relying on partners to help us achieve our goals. This new focus on partnerships had unexpected and very positive results. This presentation will tell the story of how this partnership-based focus came to be and how $750,000 has leveraged more than $200 million dollars resulting in conservation of 260,000 acres of wildlife habitat in northwest Montana.