The Midwest Landscape Initiative (MLI) had a busy and productive year in 2021. Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the MLI’s Steering Committee, Technical Committee, and Working Groups continued to meet regularly, though remotely, throughout the year to develop and refine products, further define our identity and vision, and chart a path forward for the years ahead. We look forward to an exciting year of collaboration, conservation, and progress ahead in 2022!

 

Major accomplishments of 2021 include:

 

Vision

The Wildlife Management Institute worked with the Steering and Technical Committees to develop a vision that encompasses the challenges and issues that conservation managers are likely to face in the next 15 to 20 years.

 

The vision statement is: A thriving landscape of healthy lands and waters supporting wildlife, fish, and plants, embraced by all who live, work, and recreate in the Midwest.

 

This statement is part of a unifying mission that will contain the vision statement, a purpose statement, and a clear set of values for the organization. Work is underway on those additional elements.

 

Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need

With assistance from Terwilliger Consulting, Inc. and participation by taxonomic experts from across the Midwest, MLI identified Midwest “Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need.” These are species of high regional concern and importance that would benefit from coordinated conservation efforts.

 

The At-Risk Species Working Group is evaluating the findings and engaging with the conservation community across the Midwest more broadly to identify next steps and incorporate them into collaborative conservation approaches moving forward.

 

Connecting State Wildlife Action Plans, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration and Midwest Landscape Initiative

To support the efforts of the At-Risk Species and Habitat Assessment Working Groups, the Wildlife Management Institute engaged with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State Wildlife Action Plan coordinators in the Midwest to identify methods to improve collaboration between the two programs and to support integration of plans and concepts.

 

The Wildlife Management Institute conducted a survey and engaged in many discussions across broad groups to develop recommendations to better align State Wildlife Grants and landscape-scale conservation efforts. Those recommendations are included in a report and align to national efforts and recommendations around coordinating State Wildlife Action Plans around the region. They will help accomplish landscape-level priorities, especially those featured in the Leading At Risk Fish and Wildlife Conservation: A Framework to Enhance Landscape-Scale and Cross-Boundary Conservation through Coordinated State Wildlife Action Plans (AFWA, September 2021).

 

Communications and Engagement Strategy

The Technical Committee created a Communications and Engagement Team to develop a Communications and Engagement Strategy.  The Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Association contracted with Judy Stokes Weber, a conservation communication professional, to facilitate the development of the strategy by this team. The Communications and Engagement Team continues to implement the strategy.

 

MLI Website

Midwest Landscape Initiative staff, with the help of Best Website, developed and launched a website on Nov. 1, 2021. This website is designed for easy updating and editing by MLI staff and members so that content and design remains fresh and relevant.

 

Governance Review

The Wildlife Management Institute worked with the Steering and Technical Committees to review MLI’s governance and recommend considerations or components to ensure it remains viable for the next 15-20 years.

 

The Governance and Business Operations Working Group discussed the recommendations included in this report and will work with the Technical and Steering Committees to implement the recommendations over the coming months.

 

Midwest Conservation Action Plan

The Steering Committee approved a proposal to deliver a Midwest Conservation Action Plan, consistent with the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ 2019 Resolution to make the work of the MLI actionable across the Midwest. MLI staff, with input from the Technical Committee and various Working Groups, have been working to implement the proposal. Deliverables include:

• Midwest Conservation Goals and Indicators
• Midwest Landscape Conservation Plans and Designs
• Midwest Conservation Indicator Report
• Web-based Information and Data Hub prototype

​​​​​​​

Other Accomplishments

• The Wind Working Group developed a Wildlife Resources Mapping Inventory and a Combined Best Management Practices/Mitigation Framework
• The Habitat Inventory and Assessment Working Group completed and analyzed an inventory of state habitat assessment tools
• The MLI engaged on focused issues and developed recommendations for its partners to consider, including future coordination around Chronic Wasting Disease and future collaboration of Human Dimensions and Social Scientists across the Midwest
• The initiative presented at six formal meetings and engaged with partners and collaborators in many more ways throughout the year.