The Wildlife Conservation Society announced on Feb. 21, 2022, a transition of its Indigenous and community-driven conservation efforts in the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. After more than a century of groundbreaking work, WCS transitioned its Indigenous-focused and community-driven programs, including its funding and assets, to its partners. WCS will remain steadfast in its conservation commitments in the US, including work to further restoration of the American bison (also known as buffalo), on climate adaptation, and conservation of priority species in the Alaskan Arctic, boreal, and New York waters.
This transition marks the achievement of a long-term WCS goal, a culmination of decades of work with Indigenous partners, colleagues, and friends to protect and restore their lands. WCS will continue to maintain deep ties with Indigenous and local partners, including with the Iinnii Initiative, which is centered in Blackfoot-led buffalo restoration across the Blackfoot Confederacy’s territory in the Northern Rockies. WCS’s Indigenous Led Conservation Initiative will live in a new program called INDIGENOUS LED, at The MICA Group.
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