21 SUMMARY AND EXPECTATIONS A Response to this Report US Fish & Wildlife Service has an opportunity to improve their process and to prepare and deliver a meaningful response to these local farmer concerns. In addition, acknowledgement of the role farmers already play, and will play into the future, in building a healthy place for wildlife to thrive will be very important for mending relationships and gaining respect. Land Protection Plan Input and Timeline The concerns and expectations outlined here should be incorporated into the Land Protection Plan for the Kankakee National Wildlife Refuge & Conservation Area, as well as any future documents or planning efforts involving the refuge. A Land Protection Plan timeline should be developed and the agency should be held accountable to the public for producing a plan that is clear, based in science, and provides ample opportunity for input and discussion with stakeholders. Continued Efforts to Build a Relationship A good working relationship with the US Fish & Wildlife Service should not be dependent on the personality of the staff person appointed to work on the refuge. Rather, the agency should adopt and act on policies that require better communication, outreach, and partnership opportunities between agency staff and a diverse array of local stakeholders, including the Farm Bureau. Farmers should be respected for the vast amounts of traditional and ecological knowledge they bring to each discussion regarding wildlife and the environment. Farmers should also be trusted to continue to steward the land and the wildlife as they have for generations. “We need to be thought of as people, not obstacles.” - Douglas Nelson, Kankakee Area Farmer US Fish & Wildlife Service should never highlight individuals and publicly shame them. The federal government is held to high standards and the agency should make all efforts to meet those expectations.