The importance of state agency collaborations for effective wetland conservation

Wisconsin Wetlands Association Wetland Coffee Break livestream talk, on Zoom. RSVP for link.

media release: Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s policy priorities emphasize building the enabling conditions needed to implement wetland conservation across the state. While our legislative work may have the highest profile, in recent years we have also invested heavily to build collaborations that help state and local agencies integrate wetland priorities into existing programs. In this talk, I’ll share the objectives of our state agency program work and provide a high-level overview of the projects with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection, and Wisconsin Emergency Management. I’ll also invite reflection on how these efforts translate into more opportunities for the wetland professional community to plan and implement successful projects.

Erin O’Brien joined the staff of Wisconsin Wetlands Association in 2004. Her current work focuses on strengthening state laws and regulations governing wetland management, building capacity to help integrate wetland conservation into state-sponsored programs, and providing support to communities interested in restoring wetlands to solve problems.