The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife created an urban wildlife program to provide technical assistance to 19 counties home to 62% of Indiana's population. The program focuses on promoting conservation in urban areas where residents will directly experience benefits. In its first year, the program learned to promote diverse outdoor activities beyond hunting and fishing to appeal to more urban residents. It also focused on popular species like songbirds rather than those associated with conflict. The program pursued partnerships with other conservation organizations to enhance outreach and develop consistent messaging. It allocated funds to seven high-profile habitat projects accessible to the public.

1. A State Management Agency Perspective on Urban Wildlife Programs
Falyn Owens
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Edinburgh, Indiana
In March 2015, the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife created a new program, which
would be tasked with providing technical assistance to citizens in the state’s urban or urbanizing
counties. We designated 19 counties for the program, which account for 23% of the state’s land
area, but are home to 62% of its residents (U.S. Census). Heavily influenced by dense human
habitation, the cultural, economic, and ecological characteristics of these urban areas are distinct
from their rural counterparts - a key justification for creating a specific program for serving their
needs. Today, many state agencies that focus primarily on traditional conservation efforts (ex. -
improved hunting, fishing, and trapping opportunities; farmland conversion to wildlife habitat)
are faced with declines in perceived relevance as their citizen base becomes more urban and less
invested in, or even exposed to, traditional (often consumptive) forms of conservation. The
long-term consequences of this trend include decreased financial and social support for state
wildlife agencies, and an urban constituency that is increasingly unaware of its active role in the
larger ecological landscape. Rather than neglect this important constituency, Indiana’s urban
program seeks to identify and capitalize on opportunities that promote conservation where urban
citizens will directly experience the benefits to wildlife as well as themselves.
In the year since its inception, the program’s two biologists have learned several
strategies to improve effectiveness when working with an urban constituency. For example, in
addition to promoting outdoor recreation such as hunting, fishing, and trapping, we also strongly
support and encourage other forms of outdoor engagement (ex. - wildlife viewing, hiking, and
backyard gardening). By incorporating diverse user perspectives and interests, the entire agency

2. can broaden its audience and create new opportunities to demonstrate its relevance to the urban
public. Another important tactic is that we focus on promoting species that are not typically
associated with conflict, and with which urban citizens tend to be familiar, such as songbirds and
butterflies. This increases stakeholder buy-in while providing resources for other, less
charismatic, but ecologically important species. Additionally, urban wildlife habitat must satisfy
the aesthetic and practical requirements of local stakeholders. Evidence of conscientious
intention, (usually in the form of fencing, mulching, or educational signage), is vital in areas
where purely naturalized habitats are commonly perceived as “unkempt” or “ugly.”
To achieve program goals, our urban biologists provide technical assistance in the form
of online resources, workshops, accessibility by phone or email, and financial incentives. As
providing this assistance on an individual basis can be highly inefficient, we strategically focus
our efforts on influential stakeholders such as businesses, city planning commissions, city parks,
homeowners associations, and universities. Through partnerships with these organizations, the
effective impacts of outreach efforts are increased and a greater number of end users benefit. In
the first year the program was able to allocate $20,000 in cost-share funds for seven, high profile
habitat projects in or near urban centers. These projects will all be completely accessible to the
public, and most will include a direct educational component (signage or frequent use as an
outdoor classroom).
One of the most important efforts we targeted in the first year was to aggressively pursue
partnerships with conservation organizations that are already skilled at working in the urban
sphere. These organizations may be nationally based (The Nature Conservancy), statewide
(Indiana Wildlife Federation), or local (Keep Indianapolis Beautiful), and can offer expertise and
resources complimentary to those a state agency is able to provide. Additionally, working with

3. urban conservation groups enhances our ability to develop consistent messaging that fosters an
additive impact of each organization’s efforts.
At the end of our first year, we can offer some simple advice for state agencies that are
interested in beginning their own urban program. First, designated staff should be flexible and
willing to try new strategies, especially when those strategies are effectively employed by other
urban conservation groups (such as providing signage for habitat projects). Second, staff should
be humble and recognize that opportunities may lie in working with constituents who have
significantly different perspectives/priorities than their own (ex - non-hunters). Third, they
should maximize their impact by preferentially working with larger stakeholder groups rather
than individual citizens, and be fiercely collaborative with groups whose priorities are
complimentary. Finally, they should keep long-term goals in mind because projects that will
have the largest impact often involve a variety of stakeholders who need time to commit to
action. Urban projects are often years in the making, and the task of shifting cultural perspective
so that urban citizens better understand the continued relevance of state conservation agencies
may take even longer.
U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Interactive Population Map. Web. March 2016.