Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives
Name	Landscape Conservation Cooperatives
Formation	2009
Type	Network of regional partnerships
Headquarters	United States
Region served	North America
Parent organization	United States Department of the Interior

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives were a network of regional partnerships created to coordinate large‑landscape science, planning, and resource management across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They aimed to integrate climate science, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem services across ecoregions to inform decision making for federal agencies, state agencies, tribal governments, and nongovernmental organizations. The initiative convened federal entities such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Geological Survey, and National Park Service with partners including The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and Indigenous nations to address cross‑boundary conservation challenges.

Overview

The cooperatives were organized as a network of regional hubs that aligned with major ecoregions such as the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Arctic, Mississippi River Basin, and Pacific Northwest. They emphasized applied science from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to support agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, National Fish Hatchery System, and U.S. Forest Service. By connecting researchers from universities such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Minnesota, and University of British Columbia with conservation organizations like Audubon Society and Ducks Unlimited, the cooperatives sought to produce regional conservation strategies, data portals, and decision support tools.

History and Development

The concept emerged in the late 2000s amid growing attention to landscape‑level planning from forums such as the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation and conferences convened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Early proposals drew on frameworks from the Bonneville Power Administration landscape assessments and lessons from transboundary initiatives like the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The United States Department of the Interior officially announced the cooperatives during the Barack Obama administration, intending to respond to drivers including climate change assessments from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and landscape connectivity research popularized by projects at Yale University and Duke University.

Structure and Membership

Each regional cooperative formed a steering committee comprised of representatives from federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, tribal governments like the Navajo Nation and Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, state natural resource agencies including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and nonprofit partners including Conservation International and Natural Resources Defense Council. Universities and laboratories such as the University of Arizona, Colorado State University, and Los Alamos National Laboratory contributed expertise. Membership also encompassed private sector stakeholders including energy companies regulated by bodies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and utility districts modeled on the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Programs and Activities

Programs produced spatial data sets, predictive models, and scenario planning tools to guide habitat conservation, species recovery, and resilience planning for imperiled taxa such as species listed under the Endangered Species Act and migratory birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Activities included landscape connectivity mapping, climate vulnerability assessments using methodologies similar to those in NatureServe, and collaborative restoration projects exemplified by partnerships with The Conservation Fund and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Cooperatives also supported capacity building through workshops with academic partners like Oregon State University and training with federal programs such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster resilience.

Funding and Governance

Primary funding originated from appropriations to the United States Department of the Interior and allocations within agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. Additional grants came from philanthropic institutions like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and federal grant programs such as awards administered by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Governance involved memorandum of understanding arrangements with tribal governments and cooperative agreements with academic institutions; oversight engaged congressional committees including the United States House Committee on Natural Resources and United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics raised concerns about the cooperatives’ vulnerability to shifting political priorities, citing administration changes during the Donald Trump presidency that led to proposed eliminations and restructuring. Environmental advocacy groups such as Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity debated whether the cooperatives’ emphasis on partnership diluted regulatory protections under statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act. Others, including representatives from state wildlife agencies and tribal leaders, questioned transparency and the balance of federal versus local authority, invoking precedents set in disputes over Endangered Species Act implementation and interagency coordination exemplified by controversies around the Greater sage‑grouse planning processes.

Legacy and Evolution

Despite political challenges, many cooperative projects persisted through institutional adoption by partners such as The Nature Conservancy, state agencies, and university consortia including the Consortium of Frontier Universities. Tools and datasets developed under the cooperatives influenced regional planning initiatives like basin‑scale water management similar to Colorado River Compact dialogues and landscape connectivity efforts comparable to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. The model informed subsequent federal strategies for ecosystem resilience and contributed to ongoing collaborations among federal agencies, tribal nations, conservation NGOs, and research institutions.

Category:Conservation organizations in the United States