Bridging the Gap: Cultivating Successful Partnerships and Conservation Outcomes with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A variety of wildlife movement and highway conflicts have been documented along US Route 20 (Highway 20) in Oregon. Highway 20 through Harney and Malheur Counties is of particular concern for the Burns Paiute Tribe because it imposes a large physical barrier to wildlife movement, fragments important habitat and ungulate winter range, causes substantial wildlife mortality from wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC), and lacks dedicated infrastructure for safe wildlife movement. Additionally, in the region’s Malheur River and Beulah Wildlife Management Units, mule deer populations have experienced 20–40% declines in recent years and face effects of climate change. The significance of this region’s natural resources to the Tribe emphasizes the importance of addressing wildlife-highway conflict and habitat fragmentation to conserve important cultural resources.
Recently, the Tribe assembled a diverse group of agencies, stakeholders, and partners who contributed to the development of the Highway 20 Wildlife Connectivity Feasibility Study. The study includes a comprehensive wildlife connectivity assessment, a series of agency and stakeholder workshops, action planning, and design guidance. The workshops were held to collaboratively educate and gather feedback to elucidate the status of wildlife–highway conflicts, gather input on constraints and opportunities, identify feasible mitigation options, and develop action planning and a pathway for implementation aimed at reducing wildlife-highway conflicts and enhancing connectivity. Through these workshops, key outcomes emerged including collaborative development of a shared 15-year vision statement, education on wildlife connectivity assessment findings and mitigation options, identification of opportunities and constraints, critical steps in project planning, and the initiation of a Highway 20 coalition composed of agencies and partners who committed to collaborate on mitigation development.
Following the workshops and final report, the Tribe continues to lead efforts to educate, share information, and collaborate with partners and stakeholders. In September 2022, the Tribe hosted the Oregon Wildlife Migration and Safe Passage Summit, where government representatives, agencies, local leaders, NGOs, and stakeholders gathered to share current information and identify opportunities for continuing and expanding collaboration. Participants arrived knowledgeable about the region’s wildlife-highway conflicts and the subject matter from attending prior workshops, prepared to share pertinent information, and left enthusiastic about continuing to collaborate and synergize to address the region’s wildlife connectivity challenges. This Summit demonstrated that partnerships founded in diversity and inclusivity enhance collaboration, education, and information sharing and how doing so, early in the project planning process, can support trust, commitment, and long-term successes and conservation outcomes.