State Wildlife Action Plan Primer
How to make the most of this once-per-decade opportunity to advocate for wildlife in your state
Introduction
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) are essential documents guiding wildlife conservation efforts in each state. They are one of the few things that every state does to comprehensively assess the status and conservation needs of all wildlife within its borders, including invertebrates, regardless of whether a species is of interest to hunters, anglers or trappers. States are required to adopt a SWAP and revise it every 10 years in order to qualify for federal State Wildlife Grants (SWGs).
SWAPs are not binding, but they provide a blueprint for state wildlife agencies and their partners, including other agencies, nonprofits, businesses, landowners and the public, to coordinate and prioritize voluntary conservation measures. They also provide an opportunity for wildlife advocates to remind elected officials, commissioners and agencies that the public cares about all wildlife, not just the handful of species that are hunted and fished.
As these plans undergo revision, it’s crucial for advocates to push for robust engagement by state agencies with non-agency scientists and the public, ensuring comprehensive, evidence-based, and effective conservation strategies. It is also important for wildlife advocate to remind lawmakers that funding must be allocated to implement the plan so that it doesn’t remain just another plan on the shelf.
This toolkit provides guidance on how to get involved and meaningfully participate in SWAP development.
Understanding the Eight Required Elements
Congress requires SWAPs to include eight key elements, ensuring a comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation. These elements are:
- Distribution and Abundance: Information on the distribution and abundance of wildlife species, including those with low and declining populations.
- Key Habitats: Descriptions of key habitats and community types essential for conservation.
- Threats and Research Needs: Descriptions of threats to species and habitats, and identification of research needs.
- Conservation Actions: Proposed conservation actions and implementation priorities.
- Monitoring: Plans for monitoring species, habitats, and the effectiveness of conservation actions.
- Plan Review: Procedures for reviewing the plan at least every ten years.
- Coordination: Plans for coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as Indigenous communities.
- Public Participation: Involvement of the public in plan development and implementation.
Steps to Advocate for Robust Engagement
1. Get Informed
- Find out when your state agency will issue a SWAP for public comment: For a list of every SWAP and when their next revisions are, check out this document. Public participation is required, but states can interpret how to fulfill that requirement differently. At a minimum, agencies should accept written comments, be transparent about comment deadlines and processes, and have a coordinator available to respond to inquiries
- Understand the SWAP: Familiarize yourself with your state’s current SWAP and the eight required elements. There are 56 State Wildlife Action Plans and several regional plans, including the Northeast Regional Conservation Synthesis (more info here), Southeastern United States and Midwest Landscape Initiative.
- Review Species of Greatest Conservation Need: Get familiar with the lists of species that are identified in your state’s (or U.S. territory) SWAP and possibly regional plan as needing the most conservation action, i.e., Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). For the most part these are species that are not hunted, fished or trapped, but not always.
- Review the Species Status Assessments: Assess Species Status Assessments (SSAs) for any species about which you are particularly concerned. Not all species will be listed as SGCN, but you can recommend that additional species be included as SGCN (or other category your state may have, such as New York’s Species of Potential Conservation Need) in your comments. You can also comment on specific aspects of the SSAs, for example requesting that the most current studies on habitat needs and threats be included or that the state spell out conservation actions it plans to take in the next decade.
- Identify Key Contacts: Find out who is leading the SWAP revision in your state’s fish and wildlife agency. Call or write to this person and share your general feelings that wildlife governance should serve the full range of native wildlife, including top carnivores; and that where species have been extirpated, they should be considered for reintroduction.
2. Participate in Public Meetings
- Attend Meetings: Participate in public meetings and workshops related to SWAP revisions.
- Voice Your Opinion: Emphasize the need for meaningful engagement with non-agency scientists and broader public participation.
3. Submit Comments
- Draft Thoughtful Comments: Submit written comments emphasizing the importance of using robust scientific data and broad public input.
- Highlight Best Practices: Reference successful examples from other states to illustrate effective practices. Check out the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ best practices document.
4. Engage with Scientists and Conservation Groups
- Collaborate with Experts: Encourage your state agency to collaborate with universities, research institutions, and conservation organizations. Reach out to conservation advocates in your area for specific talking points and references to include in comments.
- Leverage Networks: Use your network to connect state agencies with relevant non-agency experts and to ensure that those experts are commenting on the SWAP in your state.
5. Advocate for Transparency
- Request Transparency: Urge the state agency to use transparent and robust evidence-based methods in their planning and decision-making processes.
- Monitor Progress: Keep track of how your state integrates public and scientific input into the revised SWAP.
6. After SWAP Revision
- Request Reporting: Ask your state agency to provide an annual report to the public on progress made towards implementing the SWAP.
- Follow the Money: Ask your state agency how much money they need for SWAP implementation, and make sure it is included in the agency’s budget request to the legislature.
- Lobby: Urge your legislators and governor to appropriate robust annual funding for SWAP implementation.
Talking Points for Advocacy
- Comprehensive Data Use: Stress the importance of using comprehensive data and the most up-to-date scientific studies on species distribution, key habitats, and threats.
- Public and Expert Engagement: Advocate for in-depth engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, including non-agency scientists and the general public. Ask how the agency plans to encourage input from the diversity of people who care about wildlife.
- Adaptive Management: Highlight the need for adaptive management strategies that respond to new information and changing conditions.
- Accountability: Call for clear procedures for plan review and accountability measures to ensure effective implementation.
- Habitats: Ask the agency what habitats they intend to conserve, and how, for the sake of species of special concern.
- Question: Some states allow consumptive take (hunting, fishing and trapping) of certain Species of Greatest Conservation Need. This is a red flag, since by definition SGCNs need special conservation attention. Push the agency hard to justify why any consumptive take is allowed.
Additional Resources
- Wildlife for All Advocacy Toolkit: Download our advocacy toolkit to learn more about how to get started improving wildlife conservation and governance in your state.
- State Fish and Wildlife Agencies: Get started by looking up your state agency and commission information on our website. Then identify important meeting schedules and deadlines for public comment on your state agency’s website.
- Conservation Organizations: Email us at info@wildlifeforall.us if you need help identifying local and national organizations involved in wildlife conservation in your state.
Conclusion
There’s only one chance every decade to get the SWAPs right. Your involvement can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of your state’s SWAP. By advocating for robust scientific and public engagement, you help ensure that these plans lead to meaningful conservation outcomes. Use this toolkit to guide your efforts and make your voice heard in the SWAP revision process.