Conservation Toolbox

Decision Making Strategies for Conservation

DFW is working to adopt the right decision making framework for our needs and capacity. The known frameworks often rely on levels of information and input that is beyond our capacity to collect for every SGCN and habitat.  Staff from the Division of Fish and Wildlife have participated in RAD trainings, and we will be hosting a virtual RAD overview by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff in November 2025. These trainings will help us better understand how we can adopt a formal decision making strategy to our own needs.

Identifying adaptation strategies to address impacts and vulnerability is a step towards species resiliency. Multiple frameworks have been built to support planning for and implementing climate adaptation. Most adaptation frameworks generally include:

1.     Recognizing limitations to adaptation, such as the degree of natural resource management, availability of funding, or staffing capacity; and

2.     Deciding which type(s) of adaptation approach(es) meet specific conservation goals.

Two well-known examples of frameworks include the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework and the Resistance, Resilience and Transition (RRT) Frameworks. There are also multiple sources for adaptation and mitigation strategies. 

The Adaptation Workbook provides an excellent overview of strategies. The Adaptation Workbook is broken down into sections, one of which is Adaptation Strategies and Approaches. In this section, adaptation strategies are listed in what are known as “menus”—categorized by focus areas—with the goal of providing conservationists with specific, actionable adaptation options from which to select. The menus are not all-encompassing, nor are they intended to serve as guidance for management decisions. They simply serve as a starting point for those interested in adaptation so that they do not have to start from scratch.