I had the honor a few weeks ago of speaking to the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. It was important for me to go out there and meet with members of the Native American conservation community because Tribes deserve a seat at the table where conservation decisions are made and priorities set. And to form that kind of true partnership, we must develop a relationship based on trust and shared values.  I hope my visit helped that process.

We need to work together toward a lasting impact on the landscape.  No one – not the Fish and Wildlife Service nor any other organization – is large enough to make a true difference acting alone.

We do already work together. Native American Tribes have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us on many successes. The White Mountain Apache Tribe has helped with the Apache trout in Arizona. The Nez Perce were integral to returning gray wolves to the Northern Rocky Mountains in Idaho.

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I have been thinking a lot about a book my son gave me called Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon and how it relates to our work here at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Creativity is Subtraction,” Kleon tells us, and it doesn’t seem to make sense at first. I mean, think back to grade school, you just had to have the 64-count box of crayons. The 8-pack was just not good enough.

But, think about it some more. With the 64-count, what do you color an orange? Do you use Orange, maybe Burnt Orange, Yellow Orange, Tan, Red Orange, Burnt Sienna, Bittersweet?

With so many possibilities, you sit there unsure what to do. Having so many options is actually paralyzing.

Meanwhile, your buddy with eight crayons just used basic Orange, maybe added some tinting with plain old Red,  had time to draw a really good fruit, then finished way before you and went to play. Austin Kleon’s point is that by limiting choice we don’t constrain creativity – we empower it.

The same thing happens when we approach conservation.  All the wild life, and all the habitats they occupy, are a limitless palette with which to paint.  And our first instinct is to paint with all of them. 

But it can paralyze us. There are just so many species we have to care for.

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On May 17, 2013, we’ll celebrate the eighth annual Endangered Species Day.

After nearly disappearing from most of the U.S., the bald eagle recovered and was removed from ESA protection in 2007. Photo by Peter Davis, USFWS

And celebration is especially in order as we approach the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. During the last 40 years, plants and animals have continued to face a barrage of threats – habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and climate change – but the ESA reflects an unwavering national commitment to prevent species extinctions and to protect the habitat and ecosystems essential to species recovery. It is one of the world’s most powerful and successful conservation laws.

That success in saving species from extinction and helping them recover is fueled by the dedication and hard work of employees of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of their commitment to conservation, gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes, the American alligator, bald eagle and Tennessee purple coneflower have all fully recovered and no longer need federal protection. We can also celebrate that many other species, such as the black-footed ferret, whooping crane, karner blue butterfly and California condor have been brought back from the very brink of extinction and are making major strides in their path to recovery.   

We have much success to celebrate but also much more work to do. The challenges the conservation world faces are daunting and growing, calling us to be more innovative, to create more conservation incentives and to work even more closely with our partners.    

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