CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE 15
Mississippi's share of SWG funding since 2001 has been more than $3.5 million, which has been used to
help develop this strategy and to fund conservation efforts focused on black bear restoration, walleye
research and restoration, Partners in Flight coordination, fish and mussel inventories and many other
conservation and restoration efforts. This document represents the summary of a conservation planning
effort that officially began in 2003 in response to the congressional mandate, but which builds upon
many years of research and data accumulation by the staff of the MDWFP through the Mississippi
Museum of Natural Science (MMNS) and the conservation planning efforts of many other organizations
and agencies.
Mississippi's CWCS is a blueprint aimed at conserving wild species and their habitat. The
overarching goal of this planning effort is to provide a guide to effective and efficient long-term
conservation of Mississippi's biological diversity.
In order to achieve this long-term goal, we embarked on this multi-year, dynamic process to develop a
conservation strategy as directed by Congress. Our objectives were to base the CWCS on the best
currently available data on the distribution and abundance of wildlife species in the state, particularly
rare and declining species which are defined as Mississippi's SGCN. The strategy assesses the extent and
condition of habitats required by these species, as well as existing and potential threats and conservation
opportunities for these habitats. Further, this strategy addresses research and survey needs as well as
monitoring needs, and provides a plan for MDWFP and its partners to review and revise the CWCS
every ten years. While it builds on the work of previous planning efforts, it attempts to define a set of
broad conservation strategies that may be applied locally and statewide to achieve the ultimate goal of
protecting and improving Mississippi's diversity of native species and habitats. It indicates areas in
which resources should be concentrated and emphasis placed. Where data are currently lacking to
provide a clear picture of conservation objectives, research priorities are indicated. Where the data are
sufficient to provide direction for species and habitat protection, restoration or management, these
recommendations are stated.
Coordination with agencies, organization and corporations that manage land or administer wildlife
conservation programs in Mississippi was a key component of this effort. Because this strategy is not an
agency plan, but rather a guide for the entire state, MDWFP invited a broad cross section of
representatives to serve on its Advisory Committee to help develop and review this document. A
Technical Committee of MDWFP wildlife, fisheries and museum biologists worked with an Expert
Team of biologists with expertise on SGCN and their habitats to compile and synthesize the data for
review and input and coordinated their efforts with the Advisory Committee made up of a stakeholders.
An internal Steering Committee of agency managers ensured the process followed congressional
guidelines and met the eight elements required by law.