Conservation Partnerships Program Cooperative efforts to restore native ecosystems The Conservation Partnerships Program is a collection of voluntary habitat restoration programs with the goal of restoring native Pacific Island ecosystems through collaborative projects. This program seeks to implement large-scale conservation efforts for the benefit of native ecosystems by working cooperatively with private landowners, conservation organizations, community groups, and other government agencies. The Conservation Partnerships Program can provide cost-share funds, as well as information on habitat restoration techniques, native species, Safe Harbor Agreements, additional funding sources, required permits, & potential vendors of restoration services (fence contractors, nurseries, etc). The mission statement of the Conservation Partnerships Program is “to restore and protect native habitats by developing positive relationships with landowners, identifying biological resources and threats, implementing projects, monitoring results, and sharing information.” This reflects the mission statement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which is “working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” It acknowledges that working cooperatively with partner organizations, private landowners, local communities is the best way to approach long-term conservation of our native ecosystems. The Conservation Partnerships Program is comprised of the following: Partners for Fish and Wildlife – Cost-sharing and technical assistance for long-term habitat restoration projects on private land; Pacific Islands Coastal Program – A new effort to identify important coastal resource problems and solutions, develop partnerships to carry out on-the-ground conservation projects, and encourage community action in high priority coastal areas; and Private Stewardship Grants - This program will be discontinued in 2008. Recovery Land Acquisition Grant Program - This program provides funds to states, territories, and commonwealths to purchase habitat from willing sellers in order to benefit threatened and endangered species. Proposals can be developed by third parties in conjunction with the above mentioned government agencies. Other Funding - The Conservation Partnerships Program has been able to obtain funding from various other USFWS programs for a number of partnership programs. Click on the above link for more information about this program. The North Kona Dryland Forest Restoration Group The Ola`a-Kilauea Partnership Imi pono no ka aina: A Partnership for Environmental Education Conservation Partnerships Program FY 2006 Annual Report FY 2005 Annual Report Check out the new Habitat Restoration Resources link below! The theme for the summer 2005 edition of Out and About is "cooperative conservation". Click on the link for some interesting stories - two about Hawaii. For additional information contact: Craig Rowland Conservation Partnerships Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Office 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 3-122 Box 50088 Honolulu, HI 96850 (808) 792-9400 (808) 792-9581 fax email: Craig_Rowland@fws.gov Click here to print an overview of program information, Conservation Partnerships Program Factsheet (pdf file) The Conservation Partnerships Program is a collection of voluntary habitat restoration programs with the goal of restoring native Pacific Island ecosystems through collaborative projects. Coastal Program | Habitat Restoration Resources Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Top of Page