A goal of the National Wildlife Refuge System Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) initiative is to fulfill the need to inform management actions and adaptation strategies at multiple geographic scales. This now necessitates surveying species using peer-reviewed methods and assuring that information gained is accessible, standardized, and managed in accordance with data standards of the federal government.

The NWRS leadership has adopted a zone system for the I&M effort to provide the resources needed to address resource management issues originating beyond Refuge boundaries. Science-based decision support tools are being developed in collaboration with other FWS programs and with other agencies.

Some examples of these efforts that will be highlighted in this presentation include: collaboration with NPS in the co-development of an information system called ServCat; support for the Water Resource Inventory and Assessments; young Wilderness Fellows going to refuges to develop wilderness character measures with refuge staff; determining status and monitoring effort of federally listed species on refuges; coordinated monitoring of waterbirds across regions. We will also discuss current collaboration efforts with LCCs, as well as additional opportunities to collaborate with LCCs and other partners to address common conservation priorities and science needs.

Presented by Soc Lor, USFWS - Region 6, Inventory and Monitoring Coordinator, and Jana Newman, USFWS - Chief, I&M Branch. Hosted by the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative.