Wildlife Action Plan

Note: The Wildlife Action Plan is also known as the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy.

Additional Information

Background
In 1999, historic conservation legislation known as the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) was introduced into the United States House of Representatives. CARA proposed to reinvest a portion of the revenue from federal offshore oil and natural gas leases into state, federal and local conservation programs such as wildlife restoration, parks and outdoor recreation, coastal conservation, and historic preservation. Since the mid-1950s, all the revenue (about $4.5 billion annually) collected from oil and gas leases in the Outer Continental Shelf has been sent to the Federal Treasury. As currently written, CARA would guarantee $3.1 billion annually for 15 years to be used nationwide for a variety of conservation purposes.

For a variety of reasons, Congress has delayed the passing of CARA. In its place, Congress provided states with supplemental funding through Title IX of the Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations Act under the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program (WCRP) for conservation of species which typically receive no monetary support. These funds were made available in fiscal year 2001. This program, sometimes referred to as "CARA-lite," provided $50 million for distribution among states based on land area and population. In 2002, states received additional funding under a new program State Wildlife Grants (SWG) for FY02 through Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations. SWG was very similar to WCRP and again provided states with $80 million to be divided in a manner similar to WCRP funds. Funding for every Fiscal Year since 2002 has been provided for the SWG program. Annual apportionment for each state is determined using a distribution formula of 1/3 land area and 2/3 population. No state receives less than 1% or more than 5% of the total amount each year. Due to North Dakota's sparse population in relation to its large size it receives the minimum 1% of total funds. This set aside nearly $484,000 that could be used in North Dakota in 2001. Subsequent years of funding have provided the North Dakota Game and Fish Department with grants between $500,000 and $750,000 annually for 2002 through to the present.

By accepting these funds, North Dakota and all other 49 states were required to complete a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) by October 1, 2005. Congress had identified eight required elements to be included in the CWCS. The CWCS must identify and focus on "species in greatest need of conservation," yet still address the "full array of wildlife." The CWCS promotes a comprehensive approach to habitat and wildlife management to leverage conservation of all species.

North Dakota's CWCS focuses on 100 species that are considered species of conservation priority. Information relating to the distribution, abundance, habitat requirements, threats, management goals and monitoring techniques for each of these species are required elements in our CWCS. Although information in association with Species of Conservation Priority drove the development of North Dakota's CWCS, it includes information on all wildlife. It is truly a comprehensive strategy. Sections on monitoring and public participation are also included to show commitment to fulfilling the goals set forth in the CWCS. North Dakota's CWCS was approved in early 2006. As new information is gathered the CWCS will be updated to insure we are making use of the best and most recent information for each species. Although the strategy will change over time the primary goal will stay the same: protect, conserve and enhance all of North Dakota's fish and wildlife for sustained public use and enjoyment.

All states and territories CWCS’s were ultimately approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The CWCS’s are now more commonly referred to as State Wildlife Action Plans. The documents are essentially the same and the name is used interchangeably.

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