About Us

The Midwest Landscape Initiative, started in 2018, is a collaboration of Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies member states, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, and the US Geological Survey to identify shared landscape-scale fish and wildlife conservation priorities and to work with others to develop and implement effective conservation solutions. We help identify shared conservation and management priorities that require the development of scalable collaborative solutions to achieve healthy, functioning ecosystems. 

We identify priority conservation issues in the Midwest where supported and coordinated work across state, federal, or other jurisdictional boundaries can most affect improved conservation outcomes and efficiency. We welcome and rely on voluntary participation and action by agencies, organizations, or individuals who share in regional conservation priorities or find common ground in actions that will benefit management of their lands while also benefitting fish and wildlife – “coalitions of the willing.” We use the best available science to help identify and guide conservation actions and an adaptive management approach to change and innovate as we learn.

People

The Midwest Landscape Initiative is guided by:

• A Steering Committee that provides overall leadership and access to resources and capacity;
• A Technical Committee that recommends priorities, provides technical guidance and coordination;
• Staff dedicated to enacting the priorities and projects identified by all MLI members, participants, and collaborators.
• Working Groups that provide specialized technical resources and coordination for specific priorities.
• Voluntary Participants and Collaborators who share in pursuing aspects of regional priority species, habitats, or conservation actions – or whose land, water, or other management activities are consistent with achieving the outcomes of those priority actions.