State Wildlife Action Plan - Eight Elements

In 2001, Congress required states and territories to submit a state wildlife action plan (or state comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy) to qualify for State Wildlife Grant Program (SWG) funds. Plans must have the following eight common elements:

1. Information on the distribution and abundance of wildlife, including low and declining populations, that describes the diversity and health of the state’s wildlife.
2. Descriptions of locations and relative conditions of habitats essential to species in need of conservation.
3. Descriptions of problems that may adversely affect species or their habitats, and priority research and survey efforts.
4. Descriptions of conservation actions proposed to conserve the identified species and habitats.
5. Plans for monitoring species and habitats, and plans for monitoring the effectiveness of the conservation actions and for adapting these conservation actions to respond to new information.
6. Descriptions of procedures to review the plan at intervals not to exceed ten years.
7. Coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and Indian tribes in developing and implementing the wildlife action plan.
8. Broad public participation in developing and implementing the wildlife action plan.