ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s first and the nation’s 41st Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is being established at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno.
The newly formed ÁùºÏ±¦µä Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit brings state and federal wildlife-management resources together, providing cooperative partnership that ensures resources are best serving ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s wildlife and wild places. The partnership consists of the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Department of Wildlife; the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno; the Wildlife Management Institute; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to focus on scientific research and conservation of fish and wildlife in the state and region.
The ÁùºÏ±¦µä Cooperative Research Unit program will include three unit scientists employed through the USGS who will have adjunct faculty appointments to the University. Based on the University campus, the program will focus on wildlife research, ecology and management, and will promote collaboration among the participating partner organizations. In addition, the program will support a focus on human dimensions and the importance of wildlife conservation to the public’s overall quality of life.
“ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s creation of a Cooperative Research Unit Program is a monumental success for the scientific research and conservation efforts for the state’s wildlife and habitat,” said ÁùºÏ±¦µä Department of Wildlife Director Tony Wasley. “This partnership brings the state’s top wildlife and research agencies together at the table and allows us to collaboratively address conservation and message our efforts consistently.”
“We are excited to welcome ÁùºÏ±¦µä to the Cooperative Research Unit Program family,” USGS Cooperative Research Unit Chief Jonathan Mawdsley. “We look forward to working with all of our collaborators to train the next generation of conservation professionals and provide high-quality science and technical assistance to meet the needs of our partners in ÁùºÏ±¦µä,” said USGS Cooperative Research Unit Chief Jonathan Mawdsley.
Since 1935, the Cooperative Research Unit program has grown from the original nine wildlife-only units and now – with the addition of the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Unit – includes 41 units located on university campuses in 39 states. The mission of the Cooperative Research Unit program focuses on developing the conservation workforce of the future through applied graduate education, helping fulfill the training and technical assistance needs of the cooperators, and delivering actionable science to cooperating agencies and organizations. The unique model of the Cooperative Research Unit program increases productivity and capacity by allowing partners to benefit from each other’s strengths, developing better management at every level of fish and wildlife conservation.
“We are very excited about the establishment of the new ÁùºÏ±¦µä Cooperative Research Unit,” said Paul Souza, Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s California-Great Basin Region. “The Unit will serve as a model for researchers to work collaboratively with the conservation community to benefit wildlife and their habitats. At the same time the Unit will provide a wonderful way for students to connect to their natural world, students who will be our next generation of conservation leaders.”
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science: degrees and more
- Department of Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences
- Department of Biology: degrees and more
- Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology: Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program
- Environmental Sciences: Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
All partners will link their respective research and training missions, sharing scientific expertise while training students interested in conservation to enter the workforce. Advised by unit scientists incorporating cutting edge academic training from university cooperators, graduate students will conduct applied research projects that directly address current natural resource concerns identified by state and federal partners.
“It is especially exciting to have this multi-agency program connected to the development of our graduate students,” said University President Brian Sandoval. “The University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno has an impressive track-record of outstanding research and teaching in the natural resources, biology, ecology, and many other areas of study related to wildlife conservation and environmental settings. Bringing together the passion and expertise of these agencies, people, and resources will open new doors of opportunity, and apply the science and discovery of our faculty and students to real-world, real-time challenges.”
The experience prepares graduates to be effective members of the natural resource workforce; in fact, one of the greatest legacies of the program is the placement of students in natural resource agencies and organizations. Nationwide, the Cooperative Research Unit program educates more than 500 graduate students annually in conservation and natural resource management. Alumni of the program currently hold important leadership positions in nearly every state and federal fish and wildlife management agency.
A beautiful stream in ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s Elko County is the setting for field work conducted by PhD-candidate Chris Janusch, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources.“ÁùºÏ±¦µä is facing unprecedented environmental change. Native plant communities and their associated fish and wildlife species are challenged by invasive weeds, increased fire frequency and intensity, water quantity and quality, and development associated with a growing human population,” said University Vice President for Research and Innovation Mridul Gautam. “Establishing a Cooperative Research Unit at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno will significantly enhance the efforts of the University, the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Department of Wildlife and other partners to address these natural resource management priorities.”
The state of ÁùºÏ±¦µä—along with its fish, wildlife, and habitat—stands to benefit greatly from the partnership. By working closely together and toward the same goals, the state’s management agencies can ensure that ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s resources are used effectively and responsibly, keeping wildlife wild for generations to come.
