The Collaborative Conservation and Adaptation Strategy Toolbox (CCAST), coordinated by FWS Science Applications and the Bureau of Reclamation, is a platform for collaborative conservation for federal and state natural resource management agencies in the West. CCAST increases communication among the conservation community to advance the development of best management practices to achieve shared conservation goals. This project will provide support for conservation and restoration of semiarid grasslands in the Southwest by establishing a grassland restoration community of practice. Numerous agencies and organizations have been attempting to restore grasslands in the Southwest for decades. However, there remains a lack of understanding of the effectiveness and impacts of grassland restoration, which prevents the development of best management practices that consider fire, grazing, native and non-native invasive species, and recovery of eroded soils. One full-time research specialist and four students will work with the University of Arizona School and Natural Resources and the Environment and Cooperative Extension to support increased communication through a regional community of practice, publishing case studies, providing virtual (webinar) and in-person technical workshops, and developing synthesized best management practices for specific topics (e.g. woody plant encroachment, pollinator habitat restoration) to be prioritized with key partners including FWS programs and State Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
