DRAFT guidance on selecting species for design of landscape-scale conservation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and its State, Federal, and Tribal government partners are entrusted by law with conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the American people. Together, we work with nongovernment conservation organizations, business and industry, and private individuals to ensure fully functioning landscapes that support fish and wildlife at levels the American public expects and needs. The challenges we face today in accomplishing our missions and collective conservation goals are immense and growing. Chief among them are increasing demands for water, energy and other resources in a growing global and domestic population; current and anticipated impacts of climate change on habitats and species; the loss of habitat from changes in land use, contaminants, and invasive species; and the difficult economic realities at home and abroad.