The 76th Annual Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) conference kicks off on October 24th in Charleston, West Virginia. On the first afternoon, the SECAS symposium will bring together multiple partners to talk about the Southeast of the future and the role that we each play in achieving our shared vision of a connected lands and waters that support thriving fish and wildlife populations and improved quality of life for people. To reach that vision, SECAS partners are leveraging both the framework and tools of the initiative to make significant conservation accomplishments in the Southeast. The SECAS symposium will focus on specific examples of how the Blueprint has been successfully applied across regional, state, community, and local scales. Invited presenters will demonstrate the value, opportunities, and challenges of applying the Blueprint within each category. Cross-cutting themes, such as diversity and inclusion, will be addressed in all categories. Presenters will be asked to end their presentations with recommendations for other organizations who may be interested in similar conservation or resource management activities

The SECAS symposium will end with a one-hour panel discussion with the SECAS Executive Steering Committee, comprised of five State Directors and a federal representative, joined by Elsa Haubold representing the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Landscape Conservation Joint Task Force, and Kedren Dillard speaking as a private landowner. The panel will be challenged with identifying steps to collaboratively reach the SECAS vision.

Please join us for an exciting and cutting-edge symposium from 1:20–5:00 pm on Monday, October 24th!