Network
The Western Alaska Partnership (formerly the WA Landscape Conservation Cooperative) is one of 22 LCC organizations that cover the United States, parts of Canada and Mexico. Although each of the landscape conservation cooperatives is a self-directed partnership designed to meet and respond to the needs and issues specific to its geography, the initial vision for the LCCs was that they would also interact as part of a National LCC Network to facilitate conservation across the continent.
The vision for the National Network is for "landscapes capable of sustaining natural and cultural resources for current and future generations," emphasizing that use of the terms sustainable, sustaining, or sustainability is not intended to imply maintenance of status quo.
Map: Find my Landscape Conservation Cooperative
The vision for the National Network is for "landscapes capable of sustaining natural and cultural resources for current and future generations," emphasizing that use of the terms sustainable, sustaining, or sustainability is not intended to imply maintenance of status quo.
Map: Find my Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Mission
The Western Alaska Partnership promotes coordination, dissemination, and development of applied science to inform landscape level conservation, including terrestrial-marine linkages, in the face of landscape scale stressors, focusing on climate change.
Partnerships consist of government agencies, tribes and tribal organizations, non-government organizations, universities, and other organizations or government entities with an interest in conservation in western Alaska.
Partnerships consist of government agencies, tribes and tribal organizations, non-government organizations, universities, and other organizations or government entities with an interest in conservation in western Alaska.
Charter
Governance of the Western Alaska Partnership Cooperative is detailed in the Charter, which was approved by the Steering Committee in May 2019. This document references the authorities that allow for the creation of this Partnership, defines the membership and roles of Partnership constituent parts, specifies the Charter Review Process, clarifies the governance of the Partnership, and outlines its operational guidelines.
Goals
- Promote communications to enhance understanding regarding effects of climate change in Western Alaska,
- Support coordination and collaboration among partners to improve efficiencies in their common science and information activities,
- Identify and support research, and data collection, analysis, and sharing that address common information needs of land and resource management decision makers,
- Enable synthesis of information at landscape and larger spatial scales,
- Enhance resource management in western Alaska through applied science and technology transfer.
Guiding Principles
- Consider and respect each participating organization’s unique mandates and jurisdiction.
- Coordinate with other committees, workgroups or organizations that add mutual value, maximize capacity, avoid redundancies, and leverage resources. Focus on solving biological, physical, and sociological issues to promote scientifically sound, outcome-based, adaptive management.
- Respect social, political and legal limitations while promoting solutions to landscape level stressors (climate and related) that benefit the greater Western Alaska conservation community.
- Be transparent in operations and ensure access to the Western Alaska LCC process and products.
History
The Western Alaska LCC began in late 2010, when staff spent eight months visiting the region’s hub communities. A science needs workshop was held in early 2011, with the goal for both efforts being to identify how the LCC can be the most useful to decision makers in western Alaska. The Western Alaska LCC, the second LCC established in Alaska, received its first funding in April of 2011.
Community meetings throughout the region in 2010-2011 were an open forum for potential partners to discuss LCC goals, share information, and gain insight and knowledge. A Local Meetings Synthesis Report summarized common themes and suggestions that emerged from the meetings, which were useful in establishing early direction for the LCC. Contact LCC staff for individual meeting summaries.
The Western Alaska LCC is committed to collaborating with partners in order to build on each other's efforts. When the LCC first started, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was just starting a complementary Rapid Ecoregional Assessment (REA) process for the Seward Peninsula. Local LCC meetings in Fairbanks, Kotzebue, and Nome were held in conjunction with the REA to avoid duplication of effort and provide additional insight. More information about the now completed REA including meeting notes, final reports and data sources can be found at the BLM web site.
The “Shared Science Needs” workshop held in late April 2011 helped identify where the LCC may be most useful in addressing climate change related science and knowledge needs in western Alaska. Results from the workshop have been critical in establishing the early science direction for the LCC.
In 2011 the LCC first received funding to contribute toward projects that would help meet the LCC’s mission and priorities. Funding of projects continued in 2012 and 2013. Project descriptions and information are available in the Projects section of this website.
Community meetings throughout the region in 2010-2011 were an open forum for potential partners to discuss LCC goals, share information, and gain insight and knowledge. A Local Meetings Synthesis Report summarized common themes and suggestions that emerged from the meetings, which were useful in establishing early direction for the LCC. Contact LCC staff for individual meeting summaries.
The Western Alaska LCC is committed to collaborating with partners in order to build on each other's efforts. When the LCC first started, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was just starting a complementary Rapid Ecoregional Assessment (REA) process for the Seward Peninsula. Local LCC meetings in Fairbanks, Kotzebue, and Nome were held in conjunction with the REA to avoid duplication of effort and provide additional insight. More information about the now completed REA including meeting notes, final reports and data sources can be found at the BLM web site.
The “Shared Science Needs” workshop held in late April 2011 helped identify where the LCC may be most useful in addressing climate change related science and knowledge needs in western Alaska. Results from the workshop have been critical in establishing the early science direction for the LCC.
In 2011 the LCC first received funding to contribute toward projects that would help meet the LCC’s mission and priorities. Funding of projects continued in 2012 and 2013. Project descriptions and information are available in the Projects section of this website.