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About CMI...

Mission

The Conservation Management Institute exists to expand the capacity of our partners to manage natural resources effectively. We provide innovative solutions to multi-disciplinary research questions that affect natural resource management in Virginia, North America, and the World. Our core belief is that effective natural resource management must be grounded in sound science.

History

The organization that is now CMI began as the Multi-state Fish and Wildlife Database project in the late 1980's. The primary activity of this group was to assist state fish and wildlife agencies in developing wildlife information databases for desktop computers.

This activity lead to the creation of the Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange (FWIE). The FWIE expanded services to include not only databases, but also GIS and remote sensing, Internet website development, and other new technologies. Through the 1990's the FWIE continued to grow and added field ecological services as well. FWIE began working with a variety of sponsors, including state fish and wildlife agencies, federal refuges and parks, and military installations. Soon FWIE was working on a wide range of projects, including designing and delivering professional development courses, human dimensions, and some international work.

In order to better reflect our breadth and administrative needs, the FWIE became the Conservation Management Institute in 1999. Since that time, CMI has continued to work for a number of federal, state, and local agency and organization sponsors throughout the US and internationally.

Structure

The CMI is supported by sponsored contracts and grants. We are are a project-based organization and are focused on providing timely and cost-effective solutions for our sponsors. CMI Project Managers work directly with sponsors to design and implement projects. Project Supervisors are responsible for executing the project tasks according to their specific expertise and often work with Project Assistants to meet project objectives and timelines.

CMI is part of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Our researchers work closely with the faculty and students in that department as well as the others in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, and elsewhere at Virginia Tech

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"Effective natural resource management must be grounded in sound science"

Blacksburg Office Address:                  

801 University City Blvd. Ste 12, Blacksburg, VA 24061 

Information

phone: (540) 231-7348          CMIinfo@vt.edu