Large Landscape Conservation and Wildlife Corridor Programs & Activities, Connecting the Various Scales of Conservation
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) catalyzes national and international large landscape conservation initiatives. By connecting land, biodiversity and people, CLLC promotes the conservation of the ecological functions of landscapes, especially those now threatened by fragmentation and changing climate. CLLC works at the crossroads to connect government, industry, universities, the conservation community and community-based organizations. Conservation is a societal challenge that requires implementation across all sectors.
North American Network of Large Landscape Practitioners (Continental Scale)
There are more than 140 large landscape efforts in North America and CLLC has been at the vanguard of this growing conservation work. Within North America, CLLC is working with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the University of Montana, Harvard Forest, the Regional Plan Association and the Sonoran Institute to create a Network of Large Landscape Practitioners. This effort seeks to build capacity, leverage resources and enhance policy influence of North America’s large landscape conservation community. Forty-one landscape efforts are already engaged, and we anticipate over 200 landscape members. A similar effort by the Lincoln Institute in 1988 led to the creation of the Land Trust Alliance, which helped elevate the impact of the Land Trust community.
America's Great Outdoors (AGO) (National Scale)
In early 2011, CLLC played a key role in assisting the White House Council on Environmental Quality advance large landscape conservation policy in America’s Great Outdoors initiative, and was honored to be invited to the White House for the official release of President Obama’s conservation program. CLLC has played a critical role representing Montana in the recent development of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors effort.
Western Governors' Association Wildlife Corridor Initiative (Regional Scale)
In 2007, CLLC played a central role in helping to catalyze the Western Governors Association's Wildlife Corridors Initiative, which has transformed state action on wildlife corridor and connectivity conservation. Connectivity conservation is considered by the conservation science community as one of the most important management actions to facilitate species' responses to climate change. All 19 western states unanimously approved a west wide framework for wildlife corridor conservation.
Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative (Eco-regional Scale)
Nearly 29 million acres of land have been conserved through Y2Y's collective efforts. For the past three years, CLLC has played a key role in helping the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative develop a regional climate adaptation strategic framework in a report "Moving Toward Climate Change Adaptation: The Promise of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative for Addressing the Region’s Vulnerability to Climate Disruption". CLLC is now funded by Y2Y to link climate adaptation leaders in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, the Central Canadian Rocky Mountain Ecosystem (Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks) and the Y2Y Boreal Region connecting US and Canadian climate adaptation efforts.
Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative (Eco-regional Scale)
CLLC is fortunate in being part of the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative's (GNLCC) advisory team. The Great Northern LCC brings together federal agencies, 5 states and 2 Canadian provinces to promote landscape conservation and ecosystem services. The GNLCC plays a critical role in advancing climate adaptation science and practice from Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest to the Northern Rocky Mountain region in Alberta and British Columbia.
High Divide (Eco-regional Scale)
The High Divide, the continental divide and state border between Idaho and Montana and is a vital wildlife corridor between Yellowstone National Park and the Central Idaho Wildlands Complex. This landscape is increasingly bisected by transportation, energy, private land and recreation developments that risk severing existing wildlife connectivity and corridors. The High Divide is receiving increased attention from state and federal wildlife agencies and is a pilot project for Idaho and Montana within the Western Governors’ Association’s Wildlife Corridors Initiative and the GNLCC. CLLC is helping to link these two efforts.
Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Climate Adaptation Effort (Ecosystem Scale)
CLLC is helping to co-direct the Roundtable for the Crown of the Continent in partnership with the University of Montana's Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy. The Crown of the Continent is the trans-boundary ecosystem surrounding Waterton and Glacier International Peace Parks. Over the next 3-6 years, CLLC, in conjunction with the University of Montana, will facilitate a Kresge Foundation led effort to foster local ecosystem service and climate adaptation efforts in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem. We are working with community-based groups, First Nations and Native American communities, conservationists and various government actors in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem to connect these diverse community efforts and address ecosystem-wide conservation challenges which will ultimately help sustain rural livelihoods, and improve the ecological integrity of the region.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MT FWP) Connectivity and Climate Adaptation Working Groups (State-wide Scale)
Since 2008, CLLC has taken the lead in organizing and facilitating the MT FWP's Working Groups on Connectivity and Crucial Areas and Climate Adaptation which include members of the conservation community, universities, and state and federal agencies. The Connectivity and Crucial Areas Working Group helps provide assessment tools and wildlife data for the design of MT FWP's new wildlife information decision support system also known as CAPS (Crucial Areas Planning System). The Climate Adaptation Working Group is assisting MT FWP is incorporating climate impact and adaptation information into the 2012 Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy.
Global Initiatives (International Scale)
Large landscape conservation is being adopted globally as a climate adaptation approach. CLLC is working to network large landscape initiatives in Africa, Asia and Australia. CLLC is a key resource for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN’s) Specialist Group on Mountain Ecosystems. Through this network, we are connecting landscape practitioners to address climate adaptation and ecosystem service strategies.