79th Annual Conference

Organized Symposia Overviews

We are pleased to announce that 5 organized symposia have been selected for inclusion in the program! Each symposia will comprise a number of integrated presentations that address aspects of a single topic or theme. Read their overviews and learn more here. 

Symposia will be included as part of the technical program and will run concurrently with other technical sessions. All individual presentations within a special symposium, including those that have been invited, need to submit abstracts through the online call for papers portal. 

Beyond the Boundaries: Partnering with States to Support and Implement Wildlife Action Plans at Regional Scales

Contact: Louise, Vaughn, User Support, Southeast Conservation Blueprint, Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS), louise_vaughn@fws.gov

Co-organizers: Rua Mordecai, Coordinator, SECAS; Hilary Morris, Communications lead, SECAS

Symposium Type: Open Symposium

Overview:

The Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) is a regional conservation partnership started in 2011 by the states of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) and the federal agencies of the Southeast Natural Resource Leaders Group. Over its 14-year history, SECAS has brought together a broad coalition of partners to work at landscape scales while respecting their decision-making authorities. The primary product of SECAS is the Southeast Conservation Blueprint, a living spatial plan to achieve the SECAS vision of a connected network of lands and waters across the Southeast and U.S. Caribbean.

State fish and wildlife agencies are key SECAS partners, and SECAS staff have collaborated with states on nearly 100 projects. This includes helping states use the Blueprint to bring in almost $200 million in new grant funding, as well as inform how existing funds are allocated. It also includes adding capacity and providing technical support in conservation planning.

Recently, SECAS staff have helped 11 states and two U.S. Caribbean territories update their State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs)—strategic documents that proactively outline state-specific priorities and identify opportunities for conservation actions that support Species of Greatest Conservation Need. While each SWAP is tailored to the unique species, habitats, and challenges of its state or territory, the 2025 update cycle provided opportunities to enhance regional alignment to facilitate conservation action at biologically relevant scales.

This symposium will showcase how SECAS, the states, and other partners have collaborated through the SWAP framework to identify and refine Conservation Opportunity Areas, bring in new conservation funding for cross-state projects, fill key science gaps, and ensure state priorities remain central to decision-making within regional and national initiatives. It will also facilitate discussion on how SECAS and the broader conservation community can help implement SWAPs to sustain priority species that span jurisdictional boundaries.

Improving Private Lands Conservation in the Southeast

Contact: John, Morgan, President/CEO, NBGI Foundation, john.morgan@nbgif.org

Co-organizers: Brad Alexander GA DNR; John Gruchy MS WFP; Jef Hodges NBGI

Symposium Type: Invite Only

Overview:

The majority of land in the Southeast US is owned and managed by private entities.  Therefore, state wildlife agencies must work in this challenging space to maintain the public trust for wildlife.  Agencies invest a varying amount of human and financial resources into this complicated arena.  We will present case studies of successful private lands programs and share some the challenges and failures they experienced.  We will delve into the complexities of the rapidly changing landscape, federal government, and rural economics influencing the future of private lands conservation.  Finally, we will  address the growing need for enhanced training for private lands biologists to better equip them to be successful in this dynamic arena.

Managing Plant and Invertebrate Biodiversity in the SEAFWA Region

Contact: Hailey, Shanovich, Climate Adaptation Service Scientist, USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Strategy, hshanovich@usgs.gov

Co-organizers: Dolly Na-Yemeh, USGS South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center; Paul Armsworth, University of Tennessee - Knoxville; Katherine Smith, USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Strategy

Symposium Type: Invite Only

Overview:

Rare, endemic, and at-risk species and habitats can play vital roles in ecosystems, but data deficiencies, limited capacity and other factors mean they are often overlooked. Therefore, despite the rich native plant and invertebrate biodiversity in the SEAFWA region, these taxa are sometimes not included in wildlife management plans or conservation efforts. Many of these understudied taxa may also be facing increasing threats from changing conditions due to range restrictions. They also provide critical ecosystem services like pollination or water filtration instream. This lack of integration or prioritization can limit the effectiveness of broader conservation goals and ecosystem resilience efforts. The goal of this symposium is to highlight important efforts throughout the region to include rare and endemic species in research, conservation planning, and wildlife management. The session will feature case studies, management strategies, and collaborative approaches that illustrate how these species are being better integrated into conservation efforts across the Southeast.

National Fish Habitat Partnerships in the Southeast

Contact: Todd Ewing, Program Manager, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP), todd@southeastaquatics.net

Co-organizers: Jason Olive, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Shawna Fix, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership; Kathleen Hoenke, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership

Symposium Type: Open Symposium

Overview:

The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) is a cooperative, non-regulatory nationwide program to conserve (protect, restore, and enhance) the habitats of the Nation’s marine and freshwater fish populations, and to increase public fishing opportunities.  This is accomplished by encouraging partnerships among public agencies and other organizations to promote fish habitat conservation to achieve measurable results through strategic actions of regional Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs) that lead to better fish habitat conditions and increased fishing opportunities. 

NFHP was formed in 2006 in response to a recommendation from the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council, who recognized the declining state of the Nation’s aquatic habitats despite significant financial investments by federal agencies, state agencies, and a number of NGOs over the preceding decades. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was developed by a coalition of federal agency, state agency, and NGO representatives, and was signed in 2006 by the U.S. Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce, as well as the President and Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.  In 2020, Congress passed the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act, which codified NFHP and authorized annual funding.  Currently, there are 20 regional FHP’s that work with federal, state, and NGO partners to prioritize and coordinate fish habitat conservation work for their focal species or habitat. 

This symposium will highlight the work of some of the FHP’s who work in the SEAFWA geography as well as that of their partners. Fish Habitat Partnerships active in the SEAFWA footprint include the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, Atlantic Coast FHP, Reservoir FHP, Ohio River Basin FHP, Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, Great Plains FHP, Fishers and Farmers FHP, and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership. The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion to offer conference attendees the opportunity to engage with FHP Coordinators.

Using Motus Tracking Technology to Understand Gulf and Mississippi Migratory Flyways

Contact: Murry, Burgess, Assistant Professor, Mississippi State Unversity, mlb1016@msstate.edu

Co-organizers: Kristine Evans - MS State, Quantitative Ecology and Spatial Technologies; Mark Woodrey - MS State Extension’; Melanie Boudreau - MS State

Symposium Type: Invite Only

Overview:

Over the past half-century, birds have experienced declines at continental scales, pervading diverse species and biomes. Advances in capabilities to mark and track individual birds have been groundbreaking in the bird conservation arena. Among these technologies, radio telemetry and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) provide valuable information on location, migration routes, and stopover points for many bird species. These technological innovations offer a unique lens to study migration patterns, habitat use, learn how birds may be adapting to environmental pressures, and inform needed conservation actions. Presentations will highlight the novel uses of data networks and successful management outcomes in this arena, with particular emphasis on opportunities to close knowledge gaps in the Gulf and Mississippi Migratory Flyways. Additionally, we will conclude with a 15-minute workshop / group discussion to strategize an organized network of professionals, agencies, landowners, and companies with an interest in telemetry and avian tracking in the Gulf and lower Mississippi Flyways.