A scale-independent, site conservation planning framework in The Nature Conservancy

Site conservation planning in The Nature Conservancy is a scale-independent process that defines the landscape within which conservation targets (i.e., species and communities of concern) can persist. The process integrates more traditional preserve design and land acquisition activities with newer conservation biology and ecosystem management concepts into a single dynamic framework. Site conservation planning can be thought of as a series of questions, which if answered would constitute the major components of a plan. These questions are: (1) What are the significant conservation targets and long-term goals for those targets? (2) What biotic and abiotic attributes maintain those targets over the long term? (3) What are the basic characteristics of the human communities at the site? (4) What current and potential activities interfere with the survival of conservation targets and maintenance of ecological processes that sustain them? (5) Who are the organized groups and influential individuals at the site (i.e., stakeholders), what impacts will the goals have on them, and how might they help or hinder us in achieving those goals? (6) What can we do to prevent or mitigate threatening activities, and how can we influence important stakeholders? (7) What are the areas on the ground where we need to act? (8) What kinds of actions are necessary to accomplish our goals, who will do them, how long will they take, and how much will they cost? (9) Can we succeed in our goals, based on assessment of both ecological and human concerns and programmatic resources? (10) How will we know if we are making progress toward our goals and if our actions are bringing about desired results? Site conservation planning is best accomplished with an interdisciplinary team consisting of scientists, planners, and implementers. We recommend revisiting plans periodically to update and revise information, particularly threats to major ecological processes sustaining conservation targets and strategies that address those threats.