Introduction
Over the past three years, the Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area (BRBNA) Conservation Partnership (the Partnership) has focused its efforts on building a comprehensive resource database, participating in a pilot vegetation classification and mapping project, and developing a model for determining conservation priorities – all designed to establish a strong scientific underpinning to its planning efforts.  The Partnership is now directing its attention to developing and implementing strategies that utilize the available information for conservation and management purposes.  This "Conservation Framework" seeks to translate the science and promote the tools the Partnership has developed into an integrated conservation plan focused on three core conservation elements – habitat/biodiversity, rangelands, and recreation in the BRBNA. 

The Conservation Framework is intended to guide and promote the conservation of the BRBNA through a concise presentation of information, tools and opportunities for involvement and collaboration.  As an outgrowth of a diverse partnership, such a document is neither prescriptive nor objective driven.  Instead, successful implementation will rely on interested parties taking advantage of the opportunities presented.

The Conservation Framework is intended to serve five main purposes:

• To provide a model for landscape-scale collaborative conservation planning.

• To convey the unique characteristics of the BRBNA to a broad array of stakeholders including residents, businesses, and government officials throughout the region.

• To communicate a conservation vision for the region and the importance of broad participation in preserving, protecting and enhancing the BRBNA.

• To provide tools and information that will allow landowners, planners, public agency staff, and other interested stakeholders to participate in efforts to achieve the conservation vision for the BRBNA.

• To achieve broad support for the conservation of the BRBNA.

The Conservation Framework also serves as the foundation for a major public outreach effort by the BRBNA Conservation Partnership.  The Partnership will present the Conservation Framework to a variety of audiences including private landowners, federal and state agencies, county planning staff, and non-profit and community organizations.  The intent is to obtain feedback from a broad array of stakeholders, and to incorporate their comments into the final Conservation Framework.  This will help to ensure that the Conservation Framework becomes a useful tool for conservation of the BRBNA. 

The efforts of the BRBNA Conservation Partnership to date have exemplified the ideal in collaborative conservation – private landowners, public agencies, and organizations working together to achieve common goals for protecting and managing significant natural resources.  It is the hope of all the partners that these efforts will continue to grow and gain momentum in order to effectively protect and steward the BRBNA, promote the well being of its gateway communities, and provide a model for other similar efforts throughout the state and the nation.