Standard 13: Set overall priorities for conservation action within the ecoregional portfolio/biodiversity vision and define institutional goals, roles and priorities.

Rationale
The number of places necessary to conserve biodiversity and threats to biodiversity in those places can be considerable. Selecting priorities among them is essential for effective and efficient conservation. In setting priorities, one should consider the potential biodiversity contribution, scope and severity of threats, opportunities for success in abating types, scope and severity of threats, key enabling conditions (e.g., presence of partners and conservation capacity, leverage opportunities, conservation funding, and potential for success). Frequently multiple organizations or partners may seek to have impact on the ecoregional portfolios. Mutual agreements should be established among key conservation players in the ecoregion regarding where each will work complementarily but separately and where collaboration may occur.

Recommended Products

• Assignment of priorities for actions among targets, threats and/or areas of biodiversity significance.
• Clear, transparent, and explicit description of criteria, data types and sources, methods and tools used to define priorities.
• Maps and databases of priority areas of biodiversity significance and their priority levels.
• A set of institutional priorities, goals and roles

Part of the Ecoregional Assessment Toolbox -- a guidance document supporting TNC's Ecoregional Assessement approach for priority setting.