Treesearch

The Upper San Pedro River Basin in southeastern Arizona is well known for its avian diversity; however, water use by Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca, and agriculture in the basin threatens to lower its water table. This, in turn, could alter vegetation in the basin in a way that would negatively impact habitat currently supporting nesting of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax trailii extimus) and foraging for a large number of resident and neotropical migratory birds during the breeding season and migration. We determined the range of potential Alternative Future growth...

The planning process for the Intermountain West Region component of the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan began in November 2001. This is one of several region-specific plans being developed as part of the Waterbird Conservation for the Americas initiative (Kushlan et al. 2002), as called for in the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan. The plan includes species not covered by the other three bird conservation initiatives (Partners in Flight, U. S. Shorebird Plan, and North American Waterfowl Management Plan). Waterbirds are defined here as wetlandassociated species,...

Bird conservation planning in British Columbia and Yukon has been carried out by each of the major bird initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to provide a status report of planning activities and to discuss how integration of the initiatives is being accomplished for efficient and effective implementation of bird conservation actions.

In 1990, a group of far-sighted individuals from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service launched the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Initiative. At the time, few people noticed. New programs are launched all the time. In government, at least, it is easy to become cynical about the initiative du jour, the latest vision statement, the fresh reorganization, and the coolest new fad in management. Initiatives come and go. Most seem to be missing something essential, some internal spark that strikes a chord with people. If we're lucky, they just fade away....

It is a pleasure to be here at the Third International meeting of Partners in Flight (PIF) ? and the international aspect is important. Bird conservation is a global problem. Building on the work of Bird Life International and other partners, the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species listed more than 12 percent of the world?s known species as at risk. Bird conservation is also a national accountability. Partners in Flight has been a leader in helping countries acknowledge their share of that accountability, but it is important that the responsibility is shared.

With over 1,060 species of birds, México is among the most important countries for the conservation of birds in the world. Within the American continent it harbors the highest wintering diversity and abundance of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory land birds that breed in Canada and the U.S., as well as an exceptionally high number of endemic species (Hutto 1986 1992; Escalante et al. 1993, Howell and Webb 1995, Stotz et al. 1996, Hernandez-Banos et al. 1995). México suffers a rapid rate of environmental degradation that consists of problems such as of the loss of forests and wetlands,...

The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) was founded in 1902 as an association of state and provincial wildlife agencies. We had our 100-year anniversary in September 2002. Audubon also started almost 100 years ago. A lot has happened in those 100 years. I am pleased to say we are at another very critical and historic moment.

The New York State Bird Conservation Area (BCA) Program, modeled after the National Audubon Society?s Important Bird Areas Program, is based on legislation signed by Governor Pataki in 1997. New York is the first state in the nation to enact such a program. The BCA Program seeks to provide a comprehensive, ecosystem approach to conserving birds and their habitats on state lands and waters, by integrating bird conservation interests in agency planning, management, and research projects, within the context of agency missions. Several state agencies and conservation organizations are involved...

The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture is a partnership focused on the conservation of habitats for migratory birds within the Atlantic Flyway/Atlantic Coast Region from Maine south to Puerto Rico. In order to be effective in planning and implementing conservation in this large and diverse area, the joint venture must work at multiple spatial scales, from the largest ? flyways and Bird Conservation Regions, to the smallest ? focus areas and individual projects. In this paper, we describe the activities of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture at these various scales and discuss the implications and...

Bart et al (2004a) proposed several approaches for enhancing the considerable value of the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Sauer et al. (2005) critiqued some of these approaches, and emphasized alternative goals for the survey. We agree with many of the suggestions of Sauer et al. (2005); notably that multispecies, large-scale surveys such as the BBS are most valuable for bird conservation if they achieve multiple objectives. Nevertheless, we strongly assert that estimation of long-term trends is of fundamental importance for identifying important conservation issues and determining which...