Blueprints for Preventing Wildlife from Becoming Endangered
Wildlife action plans are comprehensive plans developed by state wildlife agencies to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. The action plans were mandated by Congress in 2000 as a requirement for states to receive funding from the federal State Wildlife Grants program and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.
Wildlife action plans are required to include eight core elements that collectively lay out a science-based blueprint for conservation. But the wildlife action plans are so much more than “plans.” By assessing what needs to be done to conserve fish, wildlife and habitat in every state, they lay out a bold vision for conservation, guiding the work of the state wildlife agencies and providing a platform for collaboration with other conservation partners. Taken as a whole, they provide a blueprint for recovering and conserving America’s wildlife.
These resources are intended to help NWF affiliates raise awareness of their state’s wildlife action plan and build public support for robust implementation in order to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. If you have specific questions or need assistance, please contact any member of the team.
About State Wildlife Action Plans
- Eight Required Elements – the wildlife action plan components required for US Fish and Wildlife Service approval.
- Deeper Dive Questions: Get to Know Your Wildlife Action Plan – a list of questions to help understand what is in your state’s wildlife action plan.
- Checklist for Strong Wildlife Action Plans – Checklist of important elements to make sure are in your state’s wildlife action plan.
Editable Communications & Outreach Materials
Please copy and edit any of the items below as you like to fit your voice, your state, and your wildlife! If you would like help with a specific item or have questions, contact any member of the team.
- One Page Overview of Wildlife Action Plans (draft) – copy and customize this as much as you like for your own outreach purposes!
- Wildlife Action Plan Blog Post Template – a blog post you can use to build awareness of your state wildlife action plan.
- Wildlife Action Plan op-ed template – A draft op-ed you can use for media outreach.
- Photos and Video of Species-of-Greatest-Conservation-Need (SGCN) – All of these are free for you to legally use. Please credit the photographers/agency. If you have photos to share, email them to .
- Sosha Wildlife Action Plans Social Media Toolkit – One-click app to post wildlife action plans content to all your social feeds!
Messaging Resources
State-Specific Materials
NWF has helped affiliates prepare the following materials customized to their state. Want something similar for your state? Contact any member of the team.
- Colorado: RBI Messaging Guidance – Key Species Narratives – CO Wildlife Action Plan Overview Handout –
- Montana: RBI Messaging Guidance – Key Species Narratives
- New Mexico: RBI Messaging Guidance – Key Species Narratives – SB 5 Handout – NM Wildlife Action Plan Overview Handout
- Utah: RBI Messaging Guidance – Key Species Narratives
- Washington: RBI Messaging Guidance – Key Species Narratives
Additional Resources
- Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Wildlife Action Plans Resources Page – Includes links to all currently approved plans and a variety of other planning and outreach materials
- NWF Report: Reversing America’s Wildlife Crisis: Securing the Future of Our Fish and Wildlife (2018) – One-third of North America’s wildlife species are at increased risk of extinction
- USFWS Report: 20 Years of Conservation Success (2020) – State & Tribal Wildlife Grants conservation successes and examples.
- USGS National List of Species of Greatest Conservation Need – (currently offline, hopefully just for maintenance)
- WMI Report: Words Matter: Determining How to Engage the American Public Through the Language of Conservation (2021) – good general reference on messaging about wildlife conservation.
- Presentation: American Attitudes and Messaging on Wildlife & Conservation (2017) – results of an NWF poll on messaging.
