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The Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units program (CRU program) is a unique cooperative partnership among State fish and wildlife agencies, universities, the Wildlife Management Institute, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This geonarrative highlights the activities and accomplishments of the program and its cooperators for calendar year 2020.

We lead applied research that can provide objective science for the management needs of cooperators and inform decision making. In this story, we have chosen to highlight just a few with select examples of the many management-oriented research projects conducted with our State and Federal partners.

In September 1960, the 86th Congress passed Public Law 86-686 to facilitate cooperation between the Federal government, colleges and universities, the States, and private organizations for Cooperative Unit Programs of research and education relating to fish and wildlife, and for other purposes. The Cooperative Research Units originated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the mid 1930s

The Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit developed a simple, web-based tool to compare freshwater fish data collected using American Fisheries Society standard methods. With widespread use, the tool could become an important resource for fisheries biologists. Check out the video by Scott Bonar, Unit Leader, Arizona Unit. 

In this Year in Review report, you will find details on staffing, vacancies, research funding, and other pertinent information. You will also see snapshots of Unit projects with information on how results have been or are being applied by cooperators. That is the essence of what we do: science that matter.

The Cooperative Research Unit mission is our hallmark: meeting the actionable science needs of our cooperators, providing them technical guidance and assistance in interpreting and applying new advances in science, and developing the future workforce through graduate education and mentoring.