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SCB'S BOARD REVISITS STRATEGIC PLAN, MAKES DECISIONS ON MAJOR ACTIVITIES

The Board of Governors of the Society for Conservation Biology convened 1-2 March 2008 at the U.S. National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA. The focus of the meeting was an assessment of implementation of SCB's 2006-2010 Strategic Plan. A report by Loyal Mehrhoff (past member of SCB's Board of Governors) and Ann Dederer, a consultant assisting SCB in this assessment, will be presented formally to the Board at its July 2008 meeting. Preliminary assessment suggests that we have implemented approximately 70% of the goals and made substantial progress on approximately half of the 29 objectives outlined in the strategic plan. The greatest successes have been in the strategic areas of policy, education, and impact and reputation. The greatest shortcomings have been in the strategic area of conservation management. The Board discussed a number of potential frameworks and actions to increase our success in achieving objectives related to conservation management.

SCB has purchased an office building in downtown Washington, D.C. at a cost of US$1.185 million. We have a 6.15% mortgage for ten years. Rent of one of the building's offices may generate income equivalent to approximately 25% of the mortgage payments.

Committees. There was strong support for a suggestion by the Awards Committee to dedicate one or two of SCB's annual Distinguished Service Awards to recognize early-career conservation professionals. At the 2008 annual meeting, SCB Secretary Paul Beier will propose Terms of Reference for a new ad hoc committee on "greening" SCB. The goal of this committee will be to ensure that SCB fully offsets all of its greenhouse gas emissions (including but not limited to annual meetings) and to reduce the ecological footprint of all SCB operations, purchases, and activities.

Board discussion resulted in a proposal to realign SCB's committees. Specific committees will have primary responsibility for each of the six goals in SCB's Strategic Plan, and that committee or a member of SCB's Executive Office staff will be charged with reporting annually on progress toward that goal. For example, SCB President Georgina Mace indicated her intention to establish an ad hoc Science Committee with a focus on increasing the relevance of conservation science to management. Formal action, which may require amendments to Terms of Reference for the relevant committees or changes to SCB's bylaws, was deferred to the annual meeting.

Sections and Working Groups. In response to requests from leaders of SCB's Regional Sections, the Governance Committee will consult with the Executive Office and legal counsel to develop a draft guidance document on legal and financial autonomy of the Sections. SCB will retain the right to dissolve Section Boards, to specify how to maintain relationships between the global society and the Sections when seats on Section Boards are vacant (e.g., because a Section election was not held in timely fashion), to oversee relationships between the global society and staff hired by Sections, and to ensure that Section bank accounts are transparent and comply with United States law. The Board will consider the draft guidance document at its meeting in July 2008.

The Social Science Working Group was reauthorized, and the charter of the Religion and Conservation Working Group was approved. The Board voted to allow the Working Group on Ecological Economics and Sustainability Science to continue to operate with provisional status. The Working Group was encouraged to reapply for reauthorization at the next scheduled Board meeting.

Meetings. The Board voted to hold the 2010 annual meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and the 2012 annual meeting in Europe (location to be determined). (Recall that the 2009 and 2011 annual meetings will be held in Beijing, China and a to-be-determined location in Australasia, respectively.)

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