[mou] partners in flight newsletter

[Jim Williams]

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
terry_rich@fws.gov=20

Ken Rosenberg
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
kvr2@cornell.edu=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
eric_lawton@blm.gov.

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
Carol_Beardmore@fws.gov).  The Midwest Working Group (contact
Tom_Will@fws.gov) 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 (terry_rich@fws.gov)


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 (jon_bart@usgs.gov).


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
sciencecircular@pljv.org.


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 (terry_rich@fws.gov) and C. J. Ralph (cjr2@humboldt.edu)


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 (kearls@ra.org)


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 (rob@southwickassociates.com)


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
(craig_watson@fws.gov)

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
(Suzanne_Fellows@fws.gov), or Sue Thomas (Sue_Thomas@fws.gov) if you would
like more information.=8BStephanie L. Jones (Stephanie_Jones@fws.gov)


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 SherryCapaz@aol.com. 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 (craig_watson@fws.gov)


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 (terry_rich@fws.gov)


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 (gjerstad@auburn.edu) or Rhett
Johnson
(johnsee@auburn.edu).


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
(carol_beardmore@fws.gov)


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,  toh@ecoyuc.com=
,
http://www.ecoyuc.com/toh.html and http://www.yucatanbirds.org.mx or contac=
t
Barbara MacKinnon in M=E9rida, Yucat=E1n at barbaram@sureste.com.


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
(tom_will@fws.gov) 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
(ej_williams@dnr.state.ga.us)

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 dhahn@sso.org and 202-624-7890.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

The next newsletter will be issued on 1 January 2004.  Items are due 15
December 2003 to Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) by e-mail only.  Please pu=
t
"Newsletter Item" in the subject line.