forward from Tom Will, USFWS, by Jim Williams, Wayzata, Minnesota ---
PARTNERS IN FLIGHT NEWSLETTER http://www.partnersinflight.org October 2003 =20 NATIONAL North American Landbird Conservation Plan The final draft of the Continental Plan is out for review and may be downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pifCapeMay/PIF_Final_Draft.pdf= . If this does not work well and you prefer a CD, contact Ken Rosenberg or me= . Snail-mail and e-mail comments should be sent by 31 October 2003 to both Terry and Ken. We are still seeking some funding to produce hard copies of the Plan but expect to have it on the streets before Christmas. Terry Rich Partners in Flight National Coordinator U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1387 S. Vinnell Way Boise, ID 83709 [email protected]=20 Ken Rosenberg Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 [email protected]=20 Partners In Flight National Committee Meetings The PIF Implementation Committee, Federal Agency Committee, State Agency Committee and Council met before or during the IAFWA annual conference in Baraboo and Madison, WI on 8-12 September 2003. Minutes, decisions and action items will be posted to the PIF web site and to the various listserves as they are finalized. Some key items from the PIF Council meeting include: Funding PIF needs to establish an annual operating budget to cover the costs of products and support that occur each year. We will be exploring mechanisms whereby partners can commit to a standard annual contribution that will be spent according to a budget approved by the PIF Council. This will eliminate the perennial need to pass the hat to fund every individual need that emerges. Continental Council Tabled Formation of a PIF Continental Council was suggested as a body to be "keepers of the plan," analogous to a similar council for NAWMP. The PIF Council decided to table the development of a Continental Council until suc= h a time as it might be deemed necessary. The current PIF Council, with representation from CA, US and MX, might be adequate to meet the identified need.=20 New Integration Working Group Formed The Council endorsed formation of the Integration Working Group as discusse= d and proposed by the Implementation Committee. This working group will be comprised of federal, state, NGO, and industry representatives with the purpose being to help assist partners in the integration of PIF landbird objectives into other plans. This was identified as the #1 short-term priority for PIF at the strategic planning session in Winston-Salem in Marc= h 2003. Chair of the committee is Eric Lawton of BLM. If you are interested in participating in this very important new working group, contact Eric at [email protected]. Joint Ventures The PIF Council has defined its process for reviewing Joint Venture Implementation Plans. The PIF Council Chair will orchestrate the PIF review process and return comments to the appropriate parties. In a related action, the PIF National Coordinator will attend all future meetings of the Joint Venture Coordinators to continue to build communication links for JV delivery of all-bird conservation. Stepping Down and Stepping Up Landbird Objectives The North American Landbird Conservation Plan is providing estimates of continental population objectives for all Species of Continental Importance= . A critical next step is for states, BCRs, and other sub-continental units t= o examine these objectives and determine if these objectives are reasonably accurate AND achievable for their particular part of the continent. Dialogues and workshops have already been held in certain parts of the country to explore this arena and more are scheduled in the near future. For example, the Western Working Group will devote its Fall Workshop, 3-6 November, in Silver City, NM to this purpose (contact [email protected]). The Midwest Working Group (contact [email protected]) has scheduled Advances in All-Bird Conservation Planning and Implementation in the Midwest: Stepping Down Regional Objectives to Local Scales to be held on Wednesday, 10 December, as part of the 64th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference (http://www.midwest2003.com/index.htm)= . I emphasize that the initial population objectives provided in the Continental Plan are only a starting point and that everyone involved in preparing those estimates is eager to receive feedback and work toward more refined numbers that are ever more "real."=8BTerry Rich ([email protected]) Coordinated Bird Monitoring Also at the recent IAFWA meetings, PIF Monitoring Working Group Cochair, Jo= n Bart, made presentations at several key committee meetings to explain the vision, progress and needs of Coordinated Bird Monitoring. The CBM approac= h was developed by the Western Working Group of PIF during 1999-2002 and is being implemented there by the Westwide All-bird Monitoring and Assessment Program. The project to produce a North American CBM Plan was initiated by the US-NABCI Monitoring Working Group in May 2003 and was endorsed by the IAFWA Bird Conservation Committee in September 2003. A Plan will be prepared for coordinating the initiative-specific, bird monitoring plans and ensuring that results from individual States, Provinces, and regions can be combined to permit evaluation of bird conservation at the continental scale. The Plan will cover waterbirds, shorebirds, and landbirds; discussions are underway with the waterfowl and upland game bird groups to determine whether the initial draft will also cover these groups. The first version will include Canada and the United States; Mexico will be covered in a future version. For further details, contact Jon Bart ([email protected]). USFWS Strategic Plan =AD Comments Sought The USFWS has prepared a draft Strategic Plan for the Migratory Bird Progra= m entitled, A Blueprint for the Future of Migratory Birds, in order to "=8Arecommit to its migratory bird trust responsibilities and set a course fo= r migratory bird conservation over the next decade." The Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals. The draft can be found at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/mbstratplan/mbstratplan.htm. Comments can be submitted on line or in writing to: Migratory Bird Strategic Plan Steering Committee, USFWS, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr. ms-4075, Arlington, VA 22203. Due date is 10 October 2003. PLJV Creates New Tools for All-Bird Planning The PLJV is committed to biological planning for all birds, and has created unique and integrated tools to get the job done. Among these tools are the Species for Management Action (SMA) Database and PLJV Geographic Informatio= n System (GIS). The SMA Database is an integrated clearing house of information on birds that occur in the PLJV region. It includes information from national and continental bird plans and regional literature and experts, and identifies specific management actions appropriate for each species. The PLJV also will soon complete the first phase of a new GIS that identifies wetlands and other habitats in the region. The GIS will be made available to partners who will be able to use it to identify, categorize an= d prioritize areas of special significance to the JV's conservation mission and track projects on a spatially-explicit level. Find out more on the PLJV's new online section (http://www.pljv.org/conservation01.html) The PLJ= V is also launching a new electronic publication, the Science Circular, intended for resource managers, technicians and biologists involved or interested in PLJV biological planning. To subscribe, send an email to [email protected]. Asilomar Proceedings Most of the approximately 200 manuscripts submitted for publication in the proceedings of the Asilomar conference are now final and in for copy-editin= g and layout. We continue to seek additional funds for publication and have asked all authors to contribute page charges at a rate comparable to ornithological journals. Contributions from PIF partners also are still needed.=8BTerry Rich ([email protected]) and C. J. Ralph ([email protected]) Sustainable Coffee Gains Support As evidence of corporate America's new commitment to environmental and social responsibility, sustainably produced coffee certified by the Rainforest Alliance is hitting the mainstream. At select Citigroup headquarters around the nation, employees can savor 100% Rainforest Allianc= e Certified coffee. This cooperative effort was spearheaded by the global financial services company in cooperation with worldwide managed services provider ARAMARK and specialty coffee supplier Java City. This week, Millstone, a Procter & Gamble brand, introduced its new Rainforest Alliance Certified Signature Roast line, together with a Fair Trade and Cup of Excellence lines. Procter & Gamble is supporting the efforts of coffee farmers in Latin America to both care for their workers and for the rainforest environment in which they grow their coffee. The announcement follows a number of other recent developments: This summer, three of the world's largest coffee traders, Volcafe, Ecom and Neumann signed memorandums of understanding with the Rainforest Alliance to promote sustainably produced coffee. Kristen Earls ([email protected]) 2003 American Wetlands Conference Proceedings Available Proceedings of the 2003 American Wetlands Conference are now available at http://www.iwla.org/SOS/awm/conference/2003_proceedings.html. This is a product of the American Wetlands Conference, a forum where volunteers, biologists, government agency representatives, policy makers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and educators met to discuss the latest trends i= n wetland conservation. Some of the topics include: the status and ecologica= l importance of geographically isolated and ephemeral wetlands, a discussion of whether or not isolated wetlands need federal protection, wetland construction, monitoring and assessment, hands-on education, conservation development and land-use planning as wetland conservation tools, and public perceptions of wetlands. Landowner Incentive Program Grant Proposals Sought The USFWS is requesting proposals under the Landowner Incentive Program pending a Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Ac= t 2004 allocation of funds for conservation grants to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, and Tribes. These grants are available for conservation efforts to be carried out on private lands, to provide technical or financial assistance to private landowners for the purpose of benefiting Federally listed, proposed, or candidate species, or other at-risk species on private lands. Assistance must be to protect, restore, o= r manage habitat on private lands. For more information: http://www.cfda.gov/public/viewprog.asp?progid=3D1585 Deadline is 14 October. Wilson Bulletin Now On Line Following the lead of the Cooper Ornithological Society and The Condor, all issues of The Wilson Bulletin published before 2000 (1889-1999, vol. 1-111) are now accessible on a Univ. of New Mexico library web site. This is a fre= e site, so back issues of the journal are readily available to anyone in the world with internet access. The site is fully searchable, so you can search for all papers on a particular topic or species, or all publications by a particular author. Full-text reproductions of all papers (including illustrations) are available as either PDF or DjVu files. The DjVu files work quickly and smoothly - just download the DjVu program from Lizardtech. You can do this for free from the home page of the Wilson Bulletin site at the UNM library http://eLibrary.unm.edu/wilson/. Important Economic Reports Available New economic reports on wildlife viewing, hunting and fishing are now available free at www.southwickassociates.com. The latest reports posted include the 2001 Economic Benefits of Watchable Wildlife Recreation in Colorado, the 2001 Economic Contributions of Wildlife Watching in Florida, and the 2001 Economic Contributions of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Watching in Texas. Additional information will be available soon for Missouri and other states.=8BRob Southwick ([email protected]) A New Stamp (Birder=B9s World Editorial) The 2002 Federal Duck Stamp is available, and as usual, it's a beauty. It depicts a pair of Snow Geese flying past one of my favorite places: the lighthouse at Chincoteague, Virginia. A mainstay of the National Wildlife Refuge System for almost 70 years, the Duck Stamp has been called the most successful conservation program ever initiated. And no wonder: Since 1934 it's raised more than $600 million for the acquisition of over five million acres of wetland habitat. But the number of hunters who purchase the stamp is declining, and so is revenue, and the sad truth is that far more birds than just ducks, geese, and swans are in trouble. Indeed, a recent report listed no fewer than 131 "birds of conservation concern" that need immediate help. Some of the species rely on wetlands; many are in woodlands, deserts, or grasslands. The birds' plight looks gloomy, as does the stamp's, but there is a way we can help both: We can modernize the Duck Stamp. That is, with a little creative thinking, we can make the stamp work for all birds (including waterfowl), for more habitat than wetlands alone, for different aspects of bird conservation, and for a strengthened refuge system. And perhaps most important =AD for the birds as well as the Duck Stamp =AD we can expand participation in the program to include not just waterfowl hunters, but a broad coalition of hunters, birders, wildlife watchers, backyard wildlife enthusiasts, and eco-tourists. It's an idea whose time has come.=8BChuck Hagner, Editor Bachman=B9s Warbler Information Sought In 2002, the Charleston Ecological Services Office (USFWS) and the Atlanti= c Coast JV conducted a fairly intensive and extensive search at the Congaree Swamp National Monument for Bachman's Warbler. This effort was conducted a= s a result of some fairly reliable observations being made in 2001 (report available). We did not find any Bachman's warblers. However, I am trying to find out more information about Bachman's Warbler activities. Bachman's Warbler has been reported annually somewhere in the southeast US since 1962= , but has never been confirmed. I am trying to find out about any recent observations and any ongoing activities or upcoming activities. If you can help with any information, please let me know.=8BCraig Watson ([email protected]) Long-billed Curlew Survey Protocol Available The final Long-billed Curlew survey protocol is now available on the web at= : http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/birds/. We hope to begin work on sample selection soon, for implementation in 2004. I hope we can work with you to implement this survey in your area. Please contact me, Suzanne Fellows ([email protected]), or Sue Thomas ([email protected]) if you would like more information.=8BStephanie L. Jones ([email protected]) Mangrove Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Course The second Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration training Course will be taught at the Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park, Hollywood, FL, 23-26 February 2004. The Center is part of a very successfu= l 500-ha mangrove restoration project which will be used as a training site during the course. Cost of the course, not including transportation to Hollywood, Florida, and accommodations will be US$1,000. The course is bein= g taught in conjunction with the Mangrove Action Project MAP), and two qualified students will be allowed to attend at no charge. Further information can be obtained from [email protected]. Other topics of the course can be found at www.mangroverestoration.com. New Atlantic Coast JV Web Site The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture website, housed in Region 5 of the USFWS, can be found at: http://acjv.org.--Craig Watson ([email protected]) Literature Review of Fuels Treatment in Ponderosa Pine This paper includes a summary of the results of more than 250 observations, case studies, models, and control/experimental studies. These results suggest that definitive studies remain to be done. http://www.theforesttrust.org/images/swcenter/pdf/WorkingPaper2.pdf MEETINGS Next National Partners in Flight Meetings The next National PIF Committee Meetings will be held prior to and during the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference on 15-18 March 2004, in Spokane, WA. As always, we are eager to have participation of anyone interested in contributing to the direction of Partners in Flight. Information on the North American can be found at http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/. Details on PIF Committee meetings will be delivered to the various listserves as the dates draw nearer. =8BTerry Rich ([email protected]) Conference on Longleaf Pine The Longleaf Alliance is hosting the subject conference on 15-17 October 2003 at Jacksonville State University, AL. The conference will consist of oral and poster presentations, as well as a tour of mountain longleaf habitats. For more information contact Dean Gjerstad ([email protected]) or Rhett Johnson ([email protected]). Western Working Group Fall Workshop The WWG Fall Workshop will be held 3-6 November 3-6 in Silver City, NM. Christopher Rustay and Scott Norris are the local hosts. We will be at the Holiday Inn Express (505) 538-2525. The rooms are reserved under "Partners In" and the cutoff date for reservations is 20 October. You can fly into either Tucson or El Paso, they are both about 3 hours away. The shorebird and waterbird initiatives have been invited to join in this meeting. The focus is on stepping down continental population objectives (see note above). [Editor=B9s note: anyone involved in step-down anywhere in the country should consider attending].=8BCarol Beardmore ([email protected]) VII Congreso De La Sociedad Mesoamericana Para La Biolog=EDa Y La Conservaci=F3= n A nombre de la Sociedad Mesoamericana para la Biolog=EDa y la Conservaci=F3n (SMBC), es un placer invitar a toda la comunidad mesoamericana a participar activamente en el VII Congreso de la Sociedad Mesoamericana para la Biolog=ED= a y la Conservaci=F3n: Hacia la conservaci=F3n de la diversidad biol=F3gica y cultural de Mesoam=E9rica, a realizarse en la ciudad de Tuxtla Guti=E9rrez, Chiapas, M=E9xico, del 3 al 7 de noviembre de 2003. http://www.socmesoamericana.org/ev.php Second Annual Yucatan Bird Festival The Yucatan Bird Festival will be held 15=AD22 November 2003. This year the Secretary of Tourism of Yucatan has adopted the festival as one of its official events - thereby guaranteeing its foreseeable future. Pictures from last year's event are on the noted websites at the end of the program. Information on the upcoming festival is continually being posted. Ecoturismo Yucat=E1n will assist in making hotel reservations, if desired: Ecoturismo Yucat=E1n: (52-999-920-2772, fax: 52-999-925-9047, [email protected]= , http://www.ecoyuc.com/toh.html and http://www.yucatanbirds.org.mx or contac= t Barbara MacKinnon in M=E9rida, Yucat=E1n at [email protected]. 2003 Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference The subject conference will be held in Kansas City at the Westin Crown Center on 7-10 December 2003. An important symposium arranged by Tom Will ([email protected]) will be "Advances in All-Bird Conservation Planning and Implementation in the Midwest: Stepping Down Continental and Regional Objectives to Local Scales." This obviously is a critical link in all the PIF planning efforts and should be a day well worth your time. For conference details, see http://www.midwest2003.com/. Southeastern Working Group Annual Meeting 2004 The SWG will meet at Jekyll Island, GA, 4-6 March 2004. Mark your calendar= s and plan to join us on this beautiful barrier island. A perfect setting fo= r moving bird conservation forward by a gathering of dedicated bird people. Also, ideal for birding, Jekyll Island offers great birding for wintering shorebirds, rafting waterfowl, wading birds and others including some pelagics with many "hot spots" located 5-10 minutes from our conference headquarters at the Clarion Resort. Details will be forthcoming in the nex= t couple of months. If you would like to be on the Steering Committee with most planning accomplished through emails and conference calls, please let me know. If you have suggestions for the meeting format and/or content, please get those ideas to me as soon as possible.=8BE. J. Williams ([email protected]) Waterbirds Around the World Conference The Waterbirds Around the World Conference will be held 3-8 April 2004 in Edinburgh, UK. The conference will focus on all major themes and developments related to the global conservation of waterbird flyways during their full annual cycle. It will address achievement of the last 40 years and formulate gaps and needs for initiatives to stimulate future conservation action. For details see www.wetlands.org. Other Meetings See meetings listed in the Ornithological Newsletter (http://birds.cornell.edu/OSNA/ornnewsl.htm). NEWS OF PEOPLE=20 New Migratory Bird Coordinator at IAFWA The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce Deborah M. Hahn as our new migratory bird coordinator. Debbie replaces Rick Kearney who left a few months ago to take a position with USGS. She will coordinate IAFWA's all-bird workshops, PIF, Shorebird Conservation Plan, and Waterbird Conservation for the Americas. In particular, she will work with these bird initiatives to assist the State fish and wildlife agencies with their State Wildlife Conservation Plans related to the State Wildlife Grants. She also will provide staff assistanc= e for all related IAFWA committees/working groups and the NABCI Council. You can reach Debbie at [email protected] and 202-624-7890. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The next newsletter will be issued on 1 January 2004. Items are due 15 December 2003 to Terry Rich ([email protected]) by e-mail only. Please pu= t "Newsletter Item" in the subject line.
