Membership

Versión en español abajo

CCSG is a global network of individual experts and practitioners that volunteer their time and contributions to IUCN. The Specialist Group is currently composed of 1200+ members from 125+ countries with experience across government, scientific, academic, non-profit, and business sectors. Membership in CCSG serves to increase coordination and collaboration to undertake joint activities, while also serving as the leading source of connectivity conservation expertise for the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and across the Union.

Become a Member

First: If not done previously, please complete the CCSG Membership Survey at this link. Providing information in the survey registers you in the CCSG records, allows you to choose a specific working group if desired, and allows for access to the online collaboration platform Basecamp. Completing the survey allows you to quickly start receiving information and contributing to CCSG. Any questions about the process can be addressed to connectivity@largelandscapes.org.

Second: All CCSG Members are required to join the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). To join as a new member of WCPA, or renew membership for the period 2026-2029, please follow these instructions:

Access the Commission System here: https://portals.iucn.org/commissions/;
If you do not already have an IUCN account, you will first need to create one;
In the top menu, hover on “Apply+” and choose “World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)”;
Provide the name of the CCSG Co-Chair who has invited you to apply;
Select the “Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group” from the pulldown menu, and fill in the remaining questions.

Once your application has been submitted, it will be reviewed by the relevant WCPA Regional Vice Chair and a notification will be sent to you from the WCPA Secretariat. Approval usually takes 1-2 months.

CCSG is currently composed of members from around the world. In the map below, countries shaded in green have at least one member, with darker shades representing the greater number of members. In order of largest membership, countries with the most members are the United States, Australia, and Canada. The Specialist Group is proud of its geographic diversity, and looks forward to welcoming new members to further increase representation around the world.

Global map of CCSG membership

Versión en español:

CCSG es una red global de expertos y profesionales individuales que ofrecen voluntariamente su tiempo y contribuciones a la UICN. El Grupo de especialistas está compuesto actualmente por más de 1200 miembros de más de 125 países con experiencia en los sectores gubernamental, científico, académico, sin fines de lucro y empresarial. La membresía en el CCSG sirve para aumentar la coordinación y la colaboración para llevar a cabo actividades conjuntas, al mismo tiempo que sirve como la principal fuente de experiencia en conservación de la conectividad para la Comisión Mundial de Áreas Protegidas (CMAP) y en toda la Unión.

Vuélvete miembro.

Primero: Si no lo hizo anteriormente, complete la Encuesta para miembros del CCSG en este enlace. Proporcionar información en la encuesta lo colocará en los registros del CCSG, le permitirá elegir un grupo de trabajo específico si lo desea y acceder a la plataforma de colaboración en línea Basecamp. Completar la encuesta también le permita comenzar a recibir información y contribuir al CCSG. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el proceso, comuníquese con connectivity@largelandscapes.org.

Segundo: Todos los miembros del CCSG deben sumarse a la Comisión Mundial de Áreas Protegidas (CMAP). En un momento determinado del proceso, el solicitante también podrá señalar su interés en unirse a los grupos de trabajo de CCSG. Para unirse como nuevo miembro de WCPA, o renovar la membresía para el período 2026-2029, siga estas instrucciones:

Acceda al Sistema de Comisiones aquí: https://portals.iucn.org/commissions/;
Si aún no tiene una cuenta de la UICN, primero deberá crear una;
En el menú superior, coloque el cursor sobre “Aplicar+” y elija “Comisión Mundial de Áreas Protegidas (CMAP)”;
Proporcione el nombre del co-chair de CCSG que lo ha invitado a postularse;
Seleccione el “Grupo de especialistas en conservación de conectividad” en el menú desplegable y complete las preguntas restantes.

Una vez que se haya enviado su solicitud, se revisará y se le enviará una notificación de la Secretaría de la CMAP. La aprobación suele tardar entre 1 y 2 meses.

Actualmente, CCSG está compuesto por miembros de todo el mundo. En el siguiente mapa, los países sombreados en verde tienen al menos un miembro, y los tonos más oscuros representan el mayor número de miembros. En orden de membresía más grande, los países con más miembros son los Estados Unidos, Australia y Canadá. El Grupo de especialistas se enorgullece de su diversidad geográfica y espera dar la bienvenida a nuevos miembros para aumentar aún más la representación en todo el mundo.

State	Year	Policy	Description
New Hampshire	2019	SB200	Requires the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to consider fish and wildlife crossings and mitigation measures in all future road and culvert projects
New Hampshire	2016	SB376	Requires the fish and game department to identify existing and needed wildlife corridors connecting wildlife habitats in the state and to make recommendations for legislative changes

State	Year	Policy	Description
Maine	2023	LD258	Appropriates $7.5 million to Department of Transportation to improve roadways with potential adaptations for wildlife
Maine	2023	LD1881	Establishes compensation fee program relating to fish and wildlife habitats and associated corridors, including compensation paid by solar energy development
Maine	2023	LD508	Requires Department of Environmental Protection to review its permitting laws concerning climate change, habitat connectivity, ecological resilience, and coastal environments

State	Year	Policy	Description
New Jersey	2025	S3618	Directs state agencies to develop a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan
New Jersey	2024	S3916/A5486	Expands eligibility for existing wildlife fencing programs by including farmers leasing farmland
New Jersey	2007	NJAC7:13	Requires the state to incorporate wildlife crossings or a natural bank for terrestrial threatened and endangered species and/or species of concern when a new bridge or culvert project would cause habitat fragmentation

State	Year	Policy	Description
New Mexico	2023	SB72	Appropriates money to new Wildlife Corridors Fund for implementation of wildlife crossing projects under New Mexico Wildlife Corridor Action Plan
New Mexico	2022	HB 2	Allocates funding for projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and allows the Department of Transportation and Department of Game to implement their Wildlife Corridors Action Plan
New Mexico	2019	SB 228	Requires the creation of a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan that includes comprehensive guidance to agencies for identifying, prioritizing and maintaining important areas for wildlife movement

State	Year	Policy	Description
Washington	2023	HB1216/SB5196	Requires Department of Ecology to prepare environmental impact statements for clean energy projects that consider impacts to habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors
Washington	2022	SB5689	Provides funding for US 97 Wildlife Crossing Improvements project
Washington	2019	SEO 1031.02	Recognizes the effect of roadways in creating barriers to wildlife movement, breeding, and migrations; the Washington State Department of Transportation will promote and support Practical Solutions and Planning and Environmental Linkages to integrate habitat connectivity and biodiversity plans; will make use of the highway prioritization map known as Habitat Connectivity Investment Priorities; and will corporate and coordinate with other agencies involved in wildlife habitat protection, specifically along highways

State	Year	Policy	Description
Vermont	2023	Act59	Vermont's 30x30 law that commits to conserving and maintaining an ecologically functional landscape that sustains biodiversity and maintains landscape connectivity
Vermont	2016	Act 171	Primarily focuses on timber harvesting regulations, but calls for a study of necessary revisions to planning statutes that protect contiguous areas of forestland from fragmentation and promote habitat connectivity between forestlands

State	Year	Policy	Description
California	2024	AB1889	Requires counties and municipalities to conserve wildlife corridors when planning new developments
California	2023	AB1760	Calls for a statewide analysis of wildlife corridors and connectivity to support conservation planning and climate change adaptation activities.
California	2023	SB145	Outlines provisions for transportation-related environmental mitigation, including funding for wildlife corridors, property and credit purchases for mitigation, reporting requirements, and mandates for wildlife crossings along Interstate 15.
California	2023	SB101	Provides funding for wildlife corridors and open spaces, including projects to improve connectivity and reduce barriers between habitat areas.
California	2022	AB2344	Establishes a state program to address roads with high wildlife-vehicle collisions, authorizes Caltrans to develop standalone wildlife connectivity projects, mandates an inventory and prioritization system for critical areas, and requires integration of wildlife passage features into relevant road designs.
California	2022	AB1384	Requires agencies to address vulnerabilities in Safeguarding California Plans, including protecting and enhancing wildlife corridors
California	2021	SB790	Approves compensatory mitigation credits for wildlife connectivity actions
California	2021	AB1183	Establishes the California Desert Conservation Program to protect biodiversity, including the protection and enhancement of habitat connectivity
California	2021	AB128	Appropriates funding for wildlife crossing projects, including the Liberty Canyon crossing for mountain lions
California	2015	AB 498	Amends the California Fish and Game Code to encourage, wherever feasible, voluntary steps to protect the functioning of wildlife corridors
California	2014	AB1471	Provides funds to the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, in part to protect and restore aquatic, wetland, and migratory bird ecosystems including corridors.
California	2008	AB2785	Orders Dept. of Fish & Wildlife to investigate, study, and identify key wildlife corridors and linkages within the state, and to make those areas public

State	Year	Policy	Description
Florida	2024	SB1638	Dedicates annual funding to land purchases, conservation easements, and trail maintenance within Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2023	HB1379	Creates annual appropriation to acquire lands that complete certain linkages and are under high population stress within Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2023	SB2500 sec.146	Provides funding to buy Ocala to Osceola (“O2O”) Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2021	SB976	Tasks state agencies with maintaining wildlife connectivity and designates Florida Wildlife Corridor as an existing physical, geographically defined area
Florida	2021	SB2500	Appropriates $300 million to acquire lands to conserve Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2019	SB7068	Creates a "Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance Program" that includes protection of wildlife corridors as an intended benefit
Florida	2008	SB542	Amends Florida Forever Act statues to include goals of connecting linkage corridors
Florida	2001	SB1468	Amends Florida Forever Act to establish that land acquisitions should include complete landscape linkages and corridors
Florida	1999	S908	Creates Florida Forever Program, with increased protection of lands that protect threatened or endangered species and plans to create a statewide system of connected landscape linkages