The latest release of the Midwest Conservation Blueprint will be available to explore on the Midwest Landscape Initiative data portal beginning Monday, March 2! The blueprint, originally released in 2023, is a basemap of priority lands and waters for conservation across the Midwest region (which shares two states with the Southeast: Missouri and Kentucky). To date, the blueprint has impacted more than $66 million, 117,000 acres, and 800 river miles for a thriving network of lands, waters, and communities. Conservation practitioners use the blueprint to focus and align work across organizations, attract and direct funding for conservation, and connect to new partners and audiences.

A crucial part of this success is listening to the needs and experiences of people across the region who interact with the blueprint. A huge thank you to all of you who have helped us improve the blueprint through comments you sent using the online feedback application.

The 2026 blueprint includes changes to improve methodology, user experience, and incorporate several new data layers such as Game Species and Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN). To learn more about the updates implemented to create the 2026 version of the Midwest Conservation blueprint and hear how the blueprint is being used, register for our upcoming webinar on March 25th at 1:00 pm Eastern Time.

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uIGBd3t0RvaHkeaLmIm-Bw

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email with the meeting link. Click on “Add to calendar” to add the meeting details to the calendar of your choice.

All are welcome to join us so feel free to forward this invitation to others that may be interested in learning more about the Midwest Conservation Blueprint! Please contact Kate (Katherin_Parsons@fws.gov) for more information or if you need any additional accommodation.

To learn more about the Midwest Landscape Initiative, visit our website.