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Amid a time of unprecedented social‐ecological change, professionals within and outside of the US wildlife conservation community have called for transformation of existing processes and structures to ensure that the benefits of wildlife conservation can be realized well into the future. Current momentum behind an initiative to help increase conservation relevancy among population segments that have historically been underserved by the conservation community is underway. Sustainable institutional change will not be realized, however, without attending to internal cultural change within the conservation community itself. Although elements of an ideal institution have been suggested, specific interventions related to institutional culture need deeper exploration. State fish and wildlife agencies—a primary organizational actor within the conservation community—play a central role in institutional transformation. Using a systems framework, this essay describes key leverage points for cultural change for which interventions could result in sustainable culture shifts. Five possible interventions are introduced to stimulate conversation among conservation practitioners seeking to initiate transformational change within their specific cultural contexts. Amid a time of unprecedented social change, professionals within and outside of the US wildlife conservation community have called for transformation to ensure its ability to provide benefits to society. State fish and wildlife agencies—a primary organizational actor within the conservation community—are a major focal point for needed change. Using a systems framework, this essay describes key leverage points for cultural change for which interventions could result in sustainable culture shifts. Five possible interventions are introduced to stimulate conversation among conservation practitioners seeking to initiate transformational change within their specific cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State fish and wildlife agencies in the United States are confronted with the realities of a rapidly changing society. With declines in historical sources of revenue and the growth of diverse voices with values that differ from those emphasized by traditional policies and user groups, agencies are faced with diminishing relevancy and are encountering institutional challenges that inhibit their ability to serve the broader public. Here, in collaboration with a group of fish and wildlife agency leaders from 11 states, conservation professionals, and academics, we employ qualitative methods and concepts from systems theory to develop an integrative model of a state wildlife agency. We use this model to identify leverage points to induce transformational change toward an ideal future state: one driven by a system of shared values toward wildlife and a mission to improve quality of life for all people. Our findings point to the importance of developing interventions that will lead to changes in agency culture, systems of governance, and policy and action, and enhance the accessibility of natural resources and opportunities for diverse publics to engage with and benefit from fish and wildlife. We offer recommendations for state wildlife agencies to engage in adaptive organizational change and for university programs to support agency needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation community is increasingly taking a landscape-level approach to wildlife conservation. This approach faces obstacles, including how to ensure transboundary wildlife conservation goals that can be realized through local management actions, and how and when to engage local stakeholders in landscape conservation planning processes. Currently, local stakeholder participation is not institutionalized within these processes. This paper examines the potential role of local stakeholders in landscape conservation. In this paper, we present a preliminary model of cross-level coordination that could facilitate development and implementation of conservation across social-ecological landscapes, highlighting the possible contributions of local stakeholders. The feasibility of this model is contingent on addressing a range of challenges associated with local stakeholder participation in extra-local conservation decisions. Ultimately, we present suggestions for future research examining the potential for a locally inclusive, participatory approach to wildlife conservation across complex landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In light of the trajectory of wildlife governance in the United States, the future of sustainable use of wildlife is a topic of substantial interest in the wildlife conservation community. We examine sustainable-use principles with respect to 'good governance' considerations and public trust administration principles to assess how sustainable use might fare in the 21st century. We conclude that sustainable-use principles are compatible with recently articulated wildlife governance principles and could serve to mitigate broad values and norm shifts in American society that affect social acceptability of particular uses. Wildlife governance principles emphasize inclusive discourse among diverse wildlife interests, which could minimize isolated exchanges among cliques of like-minded people pursuing their ambitions without seeking opportunity for sharing or understanding diverse views. Aligning governance practices with wildlife governance principles can help avoid such isolation. In summary, sustainable use of wildlife is likely to endure as long as society 1) believes the long-term sustainability of wildlife is not jeopardized, and 2) accepts practices associated with such use as legitimate. These are 2 criteria needing constant attention. © 2017 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public trust thinking (PTT) promises to inspire ecologically and socially responsible wildlife governance in the United States, but its application is not straightforward. We describe eight broad challenges to comprehensive application of PTT including: increasing authority and capacity; overcoming resistance to change; achieving fair consideration of all public interests; facilitating broad public participation; and fulfilling commitments to future generations. We discuss potential solutions including: distributing responsibilities for public wildlife conservation among governmental and nongovernmental entities; adopting an expansive definition of “wildlife;” promoting an inclusive interpretation of PTT among public wildlife professionals; rejuvenating relationships between the public and wildlife agencies; and increasing public participation and accountability in decision-making processes. Efforts to address challenges in specific socioecological contexts should be led by people working in those contexts. Achieving comprehensive application of PTT will require collaboration and cooperation among governmental and nongovernmental partners, supported by diverse and engaged members of the public. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Governance of state wildlife management has been under scrutiny with respect to its ability to change to reflect the values, norms, and cultural beliefs of contemporary society. This article reviews the existing model of governance for state wildlife management; outlines concerns about this model in light of a changing social context; discusses alternative approaches; and offers considerations for how governance could be reformed to meet societal needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underrepresentation of females among respondents to mail surveys focused on wildlife is a growing concern for survey researchers. In an effort to better understand why females are underrepresented, we analyzed the sample frame of a wildlife-focused survey for which a notable disparity existed between the number of male and female respondents in relation to actual population figures. An analysis of the sample frame used for this study indicated that male bias existed that likely contributed to female underrepresentation among survey respondents. Suggestions are made for improving sampling frames to minimize gender bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]