Explore the following conservation planning sections for more information, links and downloadable resources, including conservation plans:
Bird Conservation Initiatives in North America
“During the last two decades of the 20th century, a surge of interest in conserving birds and their habitats spurred the development of several unprecedented, partnership-based bird conservation initiatives. Each of these initiatives has produced landscape-oriented conservation plans for birds that lay out population goals and habitat objectives.”
Introduction from the North American Bird Conservation Initiative
PRBO plays a key leadership role in all of these initiatives both nationally and regionally.
1. North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) "NABCI aims to ensure that populations and habitats of North America's birds are protected, restored and enhanced through coordinated efforts at international, national, regional and local levels guided by sound science and effective management."
2. North American Waterfowl Management Plan "Recognizing the importance of waterfowl and wetlands to North Americans and the need for international cooperation to help in the recovery of a shared resource, the Canadian and United States governments developed a strategy to restore waterfowl populations through habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement. The strategy was documented in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan signed in 1986 by the Canadian Minister of the Environment and the United States' Secretary of the Interior, the foundation partnership upon which hundreds of others would be built."
3. Partners in Flight "Partners In Flight's goal is to focus resources on the improvement of monitoring and inventory, research, management, and education programs involving birds and their habitats. The PIF strategy is to stimulate cooperative public and private sector efforts in North America and the Neotropics to meet these goals. The power of PIF lies in the synergy that builds when diverse, committed groups who care about birds work together for a common goal."
4. US Shorebird Conservation Plan “Partners from state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations from across the country pooled their resources and expertise to develop a conservation strategy for migratory shorebirds and the habitats upon which they depend. The plan provides a scientific framework to determine species, sites, and habitats that most urgently need conservation action."
5. Waterbird Conservation for the Americas “This independent, international, broad-based, and voluntary partnership was created to link the work of individuals and institutions having interest and responsibility for conservation of waterbirds and their habitats in the Americas."
Regional Conservation Initiatives
PRBO is a partner in the following Joint Ventures:
PRBO is a co-author of the following regional bird conservation plans:
California Current System Marine Bird Conservation Plan
California Partners In Flight
A Conservation Strategy for Landbirds in the Columbia Plateau of Oregon and Washington
Southern Pacific Shorebird Conservation Plan
The US Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region Seabird Conservation Plan (in review), (Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, and the US Pacific Islands)
Adaptive Conservation Planning
PRBO has been a leader in developing Adaptive Conservation Strategies through our participation in the continental bird conservation plans of North America described above. Our research results over the years demonstrate the value of birds as ecosystem indicators. From restoring wetlands to managing fisheries, bird science provides insights to help assess and promote effective wildlife and habitat management—management that results in and supports fully functioning ecosystems to sustain the greatest diversity and abundance of birds and other wildlife.
An Adaptive Conservation Strategy is a two-pronged approach that can help both conservation scientists and resource managers achieve these goals: it fosters applied science through true adaptive management on-the-ground and fosters "learning organizations" through the development of Adaptive Conservation Plans. The guide includes case studies of applied Adaptive Conservation Planning in terrestrial, wetland and ocean realms and pointers for practitioners with over 30 specific recommendations.
Adaptive Conservation Strategy =
Adaptive Management + Adaptive Conservation Plans for sharing learning
To read more about adaptive conservation planning, click here to download Developing and Implementing an Adaptive Conservation Strategy: a guide for improving adaptive management and sharing the learning among conservation practitioners.
Special thanks to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for providing the funds to make this publication possible.
