In an effort to provide some index of importance, very similar conservation needs (identified to address statewide priority threats and issues) were grouped into categories, regardless of which threat or issue they address. The number of conservation needs in each category was then counted. Successful implementation of conservation actions, research and monitoring to fulfill needs in categories with the greatest totals will have the widest influence on wildlife conservation statewide, because those conservation needs were repeatedly identified to address multiple threats and issues. This summary analysis is somewhat flawed in that it may be influenced either by threats and issues that had a large number of similar conservation needs identified or by the individual who completed the grouping and identification of categories to be totaled. However, it provides a starting point for discussion and a way for conservation partners to begin considering where they can best direct their efforts.

The 'Threats & Issues Addressed' identified below for each category include only the 14 statewide priority threats and six additional statewide priority identified in the Statewide Assessments. When the associated conservation needs are fulfilled, many other threats that were not identified as statewide priorities will likely also be addressed.

The following categories (no order implied) have the greatest number of associated conservation needs and should be considered statewide priorities.

• Identification and conservation of representative areas, high quality areas, and other areas of high ecological significance (includes development of site conservation plans and any formal protection determined to be necessary)
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: fragmentation, wetland modifications, non-consumptive recreation, ecosystem representation and networks, bird migration and wintering, hybridization
    
    
• Identification and conservation of areas with urgent conservation needs (e.g., invasive species, lack of disturbance regime, contamination)
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, wetland modifications, non-consumptive recreation, altered sediment loads, altered hydrologic regimes, altered fire regime, urban, municipal and industrial pollution
    
    
• Development and use of best management practices, recommended strategies, or recommended plans for conservation and management in specific situations
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, fragmentation, wetland modifications, dredging, channelization, riparian modifications, non-consumptive recreation, altered sediment loads, altered hydrologic regimes, altered fire regime, bird migration and wintering, urban, municipal and industrial pollution
    
    
• Identification and elimination of significant information gaps for SGCN, landscape features and ecological processes, including responses to threats
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, disease and pathogens, altered hydrologic regimes, altered fire regime, lack of scientific knowledge, landscape mosaics, bird migration and wintering, hybridization, rarity, urban, municipal and industrial pollution
    
    
• Assistance to private landowners and creation of partnerships between conservation organizations/agencies and private landowners for conservation of wildlife and landscape features
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, fragmentation, wetland modifications, dredging, riparian modifications, altered sediment loads, altered fire regime, social attitudes, landscape mosaics, ecosystem representation and networks

Although the following categories (again, no order implied) have slightly fewer associated conservation needs, those needs should also be considered statewide priorities.

• Development of new regulations/legislation to protect SGCN and landscape features
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, disease and pathogens, altered fire regime
    
    
• Development of artificial techniques and engineering of new structures that mimic natural processes
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: fragmentation, channelization, dams, altered sediment loads, altered hydrologic regimes, urban, municipal and industrial pollution
    
    
• Education of the public on primary threats to wildlife and landscape features, biodiversity and essential ecological processes
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, fragmentation, non-consumptive recreation, altered sediment loads
    
    
• Development of survey, monitoring and response protocols to identify and address new disease, pathogens, and invasive species
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: invasive species, disease and pathogens

A group of representatives from conservation organizations that attended the WAP 'Kick-off' Workshop were asked to evaluate the same categories of conservation needs and provide opinions on importance and urgency of the needs associated with each category. The results of this evaluation were similar to the summary analysis above, with a small number of notable differences.

Workshop participants felt strongly that additional categories, not identified as priorities through the analysis above, were also very important and urgently needed for wildlife conservation in Michigan.

• Development of conservation plans for landscapes (e.g., mosaics, networks, adjacent land ownerships)
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: landscape mosaics, ecosystem representation and networks
    
    
• Identification and protection of corridors between large areas and isolated habitat patches
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: fragmentation
    
    
• Monitoring of natural resource metrics for changes in historical/natural range of variation and development of plans/actions to restore the historical/natural range of variation
  • Threats & Issues Addressed: altered hydrologic regimes, landscape mosaics

Workshop participants also indicated that they did not find the following categories, identified in the analysis above as priorities, to be as important or as urgently needed as some of the others.

• Development and use of best management practices, recommended strategies, or recommended plans for conservation and management in specific situations
  
  
• Development of artificial techniques and engineering of new structures that mimic natural processes

(This result may reflect the composition of participants: most were terrestrially oriented, whereas the conservation needs in this category were primarily related to aquatic threats and issues.)