Maintaining existing partnerships and seeking new opportunities to work with others are among the best ways for Selawik Refuge to accomplish its work. Many of the issues on refuge lands are of local, regional, national, and international importance. Successfully accomplishing our goals depends on effective communication, trust, and cooperation with partners, including other organizations, agencies, and individuals.

Major partners of the Selawik Refuge include the Northwest Arctic Borough, Native Village of Selawik, Native Village of Kotzebue, Northwest Arctic Borough School District, NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., Alaska Department of Fish and Game, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management.

"Partnerships" involve voluntary sharing and pooling of resources by two or more stakeholders to address key issues and resolve problems that cannot be addressed by either group acting alone.

One of the seven major goals in our conservation plan is directly related to partnerships and working with local communities.  Below are the goal and seven objectives for achieving it.

Goal: Develop and maintain credibility and open communication with partners in resource management and conservation, including Federal and State agencies, educational institutions, local communities, Native corporations, tribal governments, neighboring landowners, businesses and organizations. 

• Objective 1: Maintain a presence in the region by visiting communities on a regular basis to consult with local leaders about management programs on the refuge.
• Objective 2: Coordinate inventory and monitoring projects with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and other agencies to best assure integration and prevent unnecessary duplication.
• Objective 3: Develop a formal coordination effort with other Federal and State land managers in the region to better communicate and share information on land use planning.
• Objective 4: Actively participate and engage in regional transportation planning.
• Objective 5: Support and actively participate in the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group and other collaborative management efforts.
• Objective 6: Establish a formal venue for presenting and publishing previously unpublished reports from refuge research reports (i.e., gray literature) to increase credibility and communication with scientists, academia, and the public.
• Objective 7: Actively participate in the Western Alaska and Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.