[Contents]

Principles of the Service's Ecosystem Approach

There is general agreement among Federal and State agencies and the private sector on the underlying principles of an ecosystem approach. The principles listed below are tailored to the Service's adoption of an ecosystem approach, but are based largely on those developed by the Interagency Ecosystem Management Task Force.

• Recognize that economic sustainability and societal well-being depend upon conservation of healthy ecosystems.
• Consider and incorporate environmental and socioeconomic factors and interests into goal-setting and implementation.

   

• Base decisions on the best available science and data, and ensure that information is of high quality.
• Recognize that conservation of fish and wildlife must address processes at varying scales.
• Recognize that the dynamics and resiliency of ecosystems vary.
• Stress prevention of degradation over mitigation or restoration.
• Involve all stakeholders in developing and achieving the desired conditions for the ecosystem.
• Adopt an interdisciplinary, coordinated approach; all stakeholders integrate expertise, resources, and tools to achieve results.

   

• Practice flexibility and innovation.
• Practice adaptive management: monitor and evaluate outcomes, and readjust management direction accordingly.

   

• Incorporate information from all organizational levels and sectors into decision-making processes. Delegate decisions to the lowest appropriate level, and give employees maximum possible authority.

Continue on to the Delineation of Ecosystem Units Note: The linked page has two graphic images (329K).