Multi-species management (MSM) specifies the development of a particular ecologically balanced assessment and operation in protecting fish and wildlife. Such protection of species and the environment that supports and sustains them relies on understanding the species' interaction with each other, and within a particular environment—whether a body of water, a marshland, or other natural surroundings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) play key roles in overseeing this management due to the imperative for restoring and maintaining an effective ecosystem. In concert with the Endangerd Species Act (ESA), the focus in MSM is on lessening the possibility of certain species being added to the Endangered Species list in addition to the management of those species currently thriving.

In the fall of 2002, the College of Foresty at Oregon State University was hosting a symposium, Innovations in Species Conservation for...