On Sept. 28-29, the CSU Salazar Center for North American Conservation will host its third annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact. The event, to be delivered virtually, will serve as the first major public convening focused on next steps for the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory joining on the second day.
The two-day event will also feature researchers, practitioners, and political leaders from Canada, Mexico, and Indigenous territories, who—along with their U.S. counterparts—will explore the state of progress toward large landscape conservation goals throughout North America, and highlight lessons learned from other national-level efforts, such as Canada’s Pathway to Target One. In this context, the symposium will address critical themes such as transboundary partnerships, Indigenous leadership, and climate impacts, with former Vice President Al Gore providing remarks on the urgency of efforts to mitigate climate change.
“The symposium will lay out a vision for more durable conservation outcomes at the continental scale and serve as a reminder that the challenges we face do not stop at our international borders,” says Salazar Center director Beth Conover. “We’re bringing together many of North America’s top experts to explore how we can learn from one another and how conservation work can deliver benefits for biodiversity, climate, and human resilience.”
The symposium agenda is available online, and registration is open through September 28. Sponsors of the event include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the Trinchera Blanca Foundation, an affiliate of the Moore Charitable Foundation, founded by Louis Bacon; The Nature Conservancy; Mighty Arrow Family Foundation; the Center for Large Landscape Conservation; Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; Denver Museum of Nature and Science; Alaska Conservation Foundation; Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO); Center for Large Landscape Conservation; Wilburforce Foundation; and Resources Legacy Fund.
About the Salazar Center
The Salazar Center works to advance the health and resilience of the natural systems and human communities of North America by bridging gaps between academic research, community practice and policy development. Its efforts focus on large landscapes and cities, with an emphasis on biodiversity protection, climate resilience and racial equity woven throughout. Learn more at salazarcenter.colostate.edu.
