EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8
Our stakeholder and public outreach efforts included many approaches. In 2004, we invited by personal
invitation, e-mail, web announcements and mail, representatives from over 290 natural resources
agencies, conservation organizations, agriculture and forest products industries, technical experts,
conservation educators and academics as well as individuals and additional MDWFP district and other
staff to participate on the Advisory Committee. This group, which included 179 active members, met
quarterly beginning in the summer of 2004 in open
meetings at the MMNS, and corresponded between working
meetings to review and develop sections of the strategy.
Their role was to provide input and advice during the
development of the strategy, to recommend existing plans
or strategies for incorporation and to review and comment
on drafts of the strategy prior to submission. All meetings
were also posted on the MDWFP website, and the public
was invited to participate as well. In addition to the
assistance solicited from members of the Advisory
Committee, Expert Team and Technical and Steering
Committees, public input has been sought in many capacities.
We provided individual briefings and group presentations throughout the development of the CWCS
upon request to any interested individual, organization, company or agency. A promotional brochure
was completed in early 2004 and used for presentations, and was distributed through the MDWFP's
offices to the potential stakeholders and the public. The brochure was also posted on the agency website
and provided to all Advisory Committee and Steering Committee members to use in communication
with their staff, volunteers and others. A CWCS website was also developed in early 2004 (www.
mdwfp.com/cwcs) and has been used to post all plan elements after review by the Advisory, Technical
and/or Steering Committee. The website was the primary method of providing material to the public
and stakeholders for additional review and comments and included a page for feedback. The site will
remain active as this strategy is implemented and additional iterations are developed. Articles about the
CWCS development have been included in several internal and external publications and the
development of the CWCS has been reported by news media across the state.
While this CWCS represents the first time in our state's history that we have compiled significant
information, analyses and recommendations in one document on all habitat types and the critical species
that use them, we have taken a broad and relatively coarse scale approach to this effort. It is important to
note that this CWCS is a work in progress and in order for it to meet its intended purpose, much more
must be done to further refine the recommendations herein and to fully develop conservation priority
areas for our state in conjunction with our stakeholders. The CWCS was never intended to be a plan for
our agency, but rather a comprehensive strategy for the entire state. It is critical that we continue to work