The Conservation Planning Institute

OUR MISSION:

The CPI mission is to:

 - Identify and implement priority areas for biodiversity protection using
systematic conservation planning methods, partnering with conservation
organizations and others;

 - Provide conservation planning education and training;

 - Conduct research to advance the science of systematic conservation
planning; and

 - Make our findings available to the public

OUR METHODS:

 We believe conservation planning must be done within an implementation framework to be effective. Implementation strategies and tactics must be adapted to each area’s unique social systems, just as conservation planning methods must be adapted to unique biological systems.

We work with social scientists to understand a region’s governance, politics, economics, and people so we can provide conservation planning that is relevant to the implementation process. We are developing methods of stakeholder network weaving as a tool for enhancing conservation outcomes.

Conservation planning includes five stages:

1) Gathering data on the locations of biodiversity components (species,
communities, ecosystems, processes);

2) Assessing the extent to which biodiversity is represented in existing
protected areas;

3) Identifying additional areas needed for full biodiversity protection;

4) Implementing protection of those areas; and

5) Monitoring protected areas to assure persistence of biological diversity
over time.

(Source: Margules, C. R., and R. L. Pressey. 2000. Systematic conservation planning.
Nature 405:243-253.)

The Conservation Planning Institute is a  (501(c)(3)) non-profit.