The Need

We are facing a crisis in conservation! The significant loss of baby boomers who provide leadership in the organizations which manage the conservation of our nation’s natural resources requires immediate and careful attention. Research studies confirm this reality: Between 2004 and 2015, more than 77% of state fish and wildlife senior leadership will retire! More than one-half of Senior Executive Service employees of federal natural resource agencies will retire by 2007! And this alarming trend mirrors that of NGOs and corporate sectors. In conservation organizations everywhere right now management positions are dominated by baby boomers, and they are getting ready to retire.  A similar large cohort of employees with leadership skills is not ready to move into their place. The result is a large workforce “Age Bubble,” about to move out of the conservation workforce pipeline. This will leave a vacuum that will adversely impact our country’s conservation of natural resources. Organizational leadership and science capacity will be greatly affected. This is a critical human resource issue demanding our immediate response. Compounding these imminent realities are budgetary constraints and new and expanding conservation challenges and social demographics. With these challenges comes a huge window of opportunity to prepare leaders to take this country’s conservation legacy beyond the new millennium. The NCLI provides the opportunity to build the capacity to lead among the new world of conservation issues that are broader and more complex than any in the past. The common thread tying together all our past achievements in conservation is exceptional leadership. It is also our key to the future.