The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies announced Dec. 6 the formation of a task force to collaborate between the organizations.

“Collaborating with state partners is a hallmark of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission, and today’s announcement of a new task force will further strengthen this already solid relationship,” Shannon Estenoz, Department of the Interior’s assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, said in a release. “The task force’s work will also complement the goals of the proposed Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which would help address the biodiversity crisis and provide tools to further collaborative conservation. We are committed to working with states, Tribes, Congress and all stakeholders to conserve the full diversity of wildlife that is essential to supporting America’s economy and well-being.”

The task force will address coordination opportunities and make recommendations on collaborative approaches, the release stated.

"This Task Force is notable as it enables the Service and AFWA to work side by side on shared collaborative conservation objectives and ultimately, deliver lasting conservation," Martha Williams, the service’s principal deputy director, said in a release. "I look forward to co-leading this team with AFWA’s President, Tony Wasley, to implement actions that create thriving ecosystems and communities."

The Landscape Conservation Joint Task Force was established during a signing ceremony at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Executive Committee meeting. The charter for the task force describes its purpose: "It will develop consistent regional approaches across the country where helpful, identify challenges, remove barriers to working across jurisdictions effectively on shared priorities, and provide a durable and unified approach for working together and with other partners to meet the needs of fish and wildlife conservation at landscape scales."

“The Association is excited to form this new task force with the service. This effort will build upon the states’ existing conservation priorities, strengthen our shared commitment to conservation, while building trust through shared perspectives,” Wasley said, who is also the director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife. “Realizing no one-size-fits-all, the task force will find those common themes that will enable us to highlight opportunities and collaborate on the implementation of conservation efforts.”