State of the Birds Report Sends Warning Call Concerning Declines in Bird Populations, Highlights Conservation Partnerships

Many of our nation’s birds are sending us an important and troubling message about the state of our environment, according to an unprecedented report based on 40 years of data analyzed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, state wildlife agencies and nongovernmental organizations. The report also shows that investment in conservation works, exemplified by the remarkable recoveries of waterfowl after more than 30 million acres of wetlands were restored and managed.

The U.S. State of the Birds report reveals sobering declines of bird populations during the past 40 years--a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems. For example:

--Hawaiian Islands: Threatened by habitat destruction, invasive species, and disease, nearly all native Hawaiian bird species are in danger of extinction if urgent conservation measures are not implemented immediately. Since humans colonized the islands in 300 AD, 71 Hawaiian bird species have gone extinct; 10 other birds have not been seen in as long as 40 years.

--Oceans: At least 39% of U.S. bird species restricted to ocean habitats are declining and almost half are of conservation concern, indicating deteriorating ocean conditions. Management policies and sustainable fishing regulations are essential to ensure the health of our oceans.

--Coasts: Half of all coastally migrating shorebirds have declined, indicating stress in coastal habitats besieged by development, disturbance, and dwindling food supplies.

--Aridlands: The aridland birds indicator shows a 30% decline over the past 40 years. Unplanned urban sprawl is by far the greatest threat to aridland birds. A regional system of protected areas can enhance quality of life for people and enable birds to survive.

--Grasslands: The grassland bird indicator shows nearly a 40% decline in the past 40 years, based on birds that breed exclusively in grasslands. Farm conservation programs provide millions of acres of protected grasslands that are essential for the birds in a landscape where little native prairie remains.

The U.S. State of the Birds report offers heartening evidence that strategic land management and conservation action can reverse declines of birds.

--Wetlands: Although many wetland birds show troubling declines, conservation programs have protected millions of acres and contributed to thriving populations of hunted waterfowl, herons, egrets, and other birds. Lesser Scaup, Northern Pintail, and several sea ducks are showing troubling declines, but most geese are increasing dramatically and many ducks have held steady.

--Waterfowl: On the whole, 39 species of hunted waterfowl have increased by more than 100% during the past 40 years. Successful waterfowl conservation is a model for widespread habitat protection.

The United States is home to a tremendous diversity of native birds, with more than 800 species inhabiting terrestrial, coastal, and ocean habitats, including Hawaii. Among these species, 67 are federally listed as endangered or threatened. In addition, more than 184 species are designated as species of conservation concern due to a small distribution, high-level of threats, or declining populations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated creation of the new report as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, which includes partners from American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Read the Association's press release

Download the State of the Birds Report

National Fish Habitat Action Plan Board Approves Three Additional Fish Habitat Partnerships

On March 5, the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) Board approved three "Candidate" Fish Habitat Partnerships for full Board recognition -- the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, Midwest Glacial Lakes Fish Habitat Partnership and the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership -- bringing the total number to nine.

Fish Habitat Partnerships are the primary work units of the Action Plan. These partnerships are formed around important aquatic habitats and distinct geographic areas (e.g., Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership,) “keystone” fish species (e.g., eastern brook trout and western native trout) or system types (e.g., large lakes, impoundments, estuaries).

The Desert Fish, Midwest Glacial Lakes, and Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnerships are the first "Candidate" Fish Habitat Partnerships to gain full recognition by the NFHAP Board in 2009 and the first partnerships to be approved since the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership in May 2008. The Board’s goal is to establish 12 or more Partnerships by 2010.

For more information, please visit the fishhabitat.org partnership page.

Arizona Game and Fish Director Addresses House Panel on Proposed Changes to Free-roaming Horse and Burro Management

Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Larry Voyles told a congressional committee on March 3 that a proposed bill changing how free-roaming horses and burros are managed could result in adverse impacts to wildlife and habitat, as well as to the horses and burros the legislation seeks to further protect, and he offered several recommendations on ensuring a viable future for each.

Testifying on behalf of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), Voyles told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands that some aspects of the legislation, H.R. 1018, could alter the ecological balance of the habitat on which wildlife and horses and burros depend for their existence.

Acknowledging the challenges the subcommittee faces in considering both the human concerns for free-roaming horses and burros and concerns for healthy wildlife populations and rangelands in the western states, Voyles offered several recommendations:

1. Continue to limit free-roaming horse and burro herds to the areas where they were found upon enactment of the 1971 act.
2. Make law and policy drive refinement of methods (such as techniques modeled after wildlife population census studies) to accurately assess free-roaming horse and burro populations and accurately set “appropriate management levels” (AMLs) for horse and burro herds.
3. Federal agencies should continue to use AMLs as target numbers for managing free-roaming horse and burro herds.
4. Law and policy should facilitate research into innovative tools for herd management, including feasible and efficient removal and fertility control, as well as continued usage of practical tools such helicopters for inventory, roundup and removal efforts, where dictated by habitat conditions or management targets.
5. Congress must appropriate funds sufficient for the management of free-roaming horse and burro herds within AMLs and the land’s capacity to support them, as one component of diverse and thriving ecosystems.

“If we fail to manage the balance between free-roaming horses and burros and the capacity of the land to support them and the wildlife that depend on those lands, then the laws of nature will prevail and we will fail as stewards of all three: land, wildlife, and horses and burros,” said Voyles.

H.R. 1018 would amend the 1971 Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act. Among other provisions, it would remove the limitations on areas where horses and burros can roam, require the creation of sanctuaries for these animals, bolster the Bureau of Land Management’s horse and burro adoption program, and change the circumstances and methods by which free-roaming horses and burros could be removed.

Voyles was one of several experts who provided testimony before the subcommittee on the proposed legislation.

Source: Arizona Game and Fish Dept.

Congress Urged to Help Prevent Wildlife from Becoming Endangered

More than 100 advocates from over 30 states participate in the 8th Annual Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In Day

Washington, DC (February 26, 2008)—As part of the 8th Annual Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In Day, more than 100 conservation leaders from over 30 states met with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of new and greater funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered through the State Wildlife Grants program.

The Fly-In event, held over three days, is the most important outreach event for the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which includes nearly 6,000 conservation groups and businesses. The goal of the Coalition is to secure dedicated funding to support on-the-ground conservation action in every state and territory to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

This year, Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in participants urged their Members of Congress to sign on to a letter of support restoring State Wildlife Grant funding to $85 million; co-sponsor the Teaming With Wildlife Act of 2009 to provide increased and dedicated funding for wildlife conservation; and support wildlife adaptation funding in climate change legislation.

“Early, preventive conservation is the most cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars and most efficient way to address the challenges facing all wildlife, including current threats and the predicted impacts of global climate change," said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “Waiting until a species declines to the point of being listed as threatened or endangered requires costly and risky recovery efforts. Especially in today’s economy, the State Wildlife Grants Program represents how limited federal funds can be invested to get the greatest return for Americans and for wildlife.”

At the Fly-In Day’s annual reception, Celebrate America’s Wildlife, the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition presented an award to Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) for supporting dedicated wildlife adaptation funding in climate change legislation introduced last year and one to Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) for championing federal funding of State Wildlife Grants through appropriations. Held in the Rayburn House Office Building, the reception also was attended by other Members of Congress and the Chairman of the Resources Committee. Live wildlife from the Salisbury Zoo gave all attendees an opportunity to interact with animals that could be at risk without help.

Despite historical successes in bringing many wildlife species back from the brink of extinction, other species have continued to decline as evidenced by the staggering numbers listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. State hunting and fishing license dollars, federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear and motorboat fuel taxes have provided the backbone for funding the nation’s state wildlife conservation programs over the past century. However, there has always been a gap in funding for species that are not hunted or fished. State Wildlife Grants have provided state fish and wildlife agencies with the resources they critically need to partially fill that gap.

Visit http://www.teaming.com/ to learn more about the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition.

Photos:

(top) Representative Tiahrt with Matt Hogan

(bottom) Representative Doggett addresses attendees at the reception

$740 Million Goes to States for Fish and Wildlife Projects

Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today more than $740.9 million will be distributed to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia, and territories to fund fish and wildlife conservation, boater access to public waters, and hunter and aquatic education. These Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program funds come from excise taxes and import duties on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, sportfishing equipment, electric outboard motors, and fuel taxes attributable to motorboats and small engines.

"The funds raised under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs have helped conserve our fish and wildlife resources and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation for more than half a century. These investments, which help create jobs while protecting our nation's natural treasures, are particularly important in these tough economic times,” Salazar said. “All those who pay into this program – the hunting and fishing industries, boaters, hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters – should take pride in helping to conserve our land and its fish and wildlife and provide benefits to all Americans who cherish the natural world and outdoor recreation.”

The Wildlife Restoration apportionment for 2009 totals nearly $336 million, with more than $64.7 million marked for hunter education and firearm and archery range programs. The Sport Fish Restoration apportionment for 2009 totals more than $404 million.

Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act funding is available to states, commonwealths, and territories through a formula based on land area, including inland waters and the number of paid hunting license holders in each state, commonwealth, and territory. State, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies use the money to manage wildlife populations, conduct habitat research, acquire wildlife lands and public access, carry out surveys and inventories, administer hunter education, and construct and maintain shooting ranges.

“State fish and wildlife agencies are proud to be funded by the hunting, fishing and boating community through this American system of conservation funding, which has been a successful model for many years,” said Rex Amack, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “This year’s record Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration apportionment is vital in order for state agencies to continue their work to sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations and provide opportunities for all to connect with nature.”

Sport Fish Restoration is funded by the collection of excise taxes and import duties on sport fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, and pleasure boats. Sport Fish Restoration funds are apportioned to the states based on a formula that includes the land and water area, inland waters and the Great Lakes and marine coastal areas where applicable, and the number of paid fishing license holders. States, the District of Columbia, commonwealths, and territories use the funds to pay for stocking fish; acquiring and improving sport fish habitat; providing aquatic resource education opportunities; conducting fisheries research; maintaining public access, and the construction at boat ramps, fishing piers, and other facilities for recreational boating access.

More than 62 percent of Wildlife Restoration funds are used to buy, develop, maintain, and operate wildlife management areas. Since the program began, state, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have acquired 68 million acres through fee simple, leases, or easements, and operated and maintained more than 390 million acres for hunting since the program began. In addition, agencies certified over 9 million participants in hunter education.

“This source of conservation funding is important not only measured by its dollar amount, but also by legislative safeguards preventing its diversion away from state fish and wildlife agencies,” said Rowan Gould, acting Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “For states working to ensure a future for fish and wildlife – and opportunities for people to enjoy them – precious few programs offer this level of support and reliability.”

Numerous species including the wild turkey, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, American elk, and black bears have increased in population due to improved research and habitat management funded by Wildlife Restoration. In the program's history, fish and wildlife agencies have assisted more than 9.2 million landowners on fish and wildlife management. States, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have improved more than 35 million acres of habitat and developed more than 44,000 acres of waterfowl impoundments.

Since the inception of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, states, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have acquired 360,000 acres through fee simple, leases, or easements. They have operated and maintained more than 1.5 million acres annually and they stocked over 6.8 billion fish and restored more than 1.7 billion fish throughout the country; renovated or improved 6,400-boat access sites; and had over 11.9 million participants in the aquatic resource education program.

Please visit the Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program web site at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/ for state, commonwealth, and territory funding allocations.

Source: USFWS

Introducing the Association HQ

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies released its first issue of the Association HQ (Highlights Quarterly), which replaces the previous "Staff Report." Now distributed via email and the web, the HQ features work accomplishments from the previous quarter. It is also structured to better align with the Association's strategic plan that was adopted at the annual meeting in September.

The change in reporting is part of the Association's overall effort to communicate more efficiently and effectively with agency heads who have limited time to digest a lot of information.

"The change in title is more than just semantics. Truly the old moniker of staff report did not accurately reflect what the report captured. It was not simply a report from the staff, but rather a summary of all of the work of the Association," said Matt Hogan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

"The work of the Association is a partnership between the many men and women from fish and wildlife agencies who give of their time, talent and expertise coupled with the day to day continuity provided by staff. This team effort has been the hallmark of the successes of the Association for so many years and will be the continued recipe that makes us successful in the future."

The first issue of the HQ features activities of the Association from October, November and December 2008.

Read Association HQ-4Q

Land the Cover Photo Contest - 2008 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Report

Attention state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife agencies... We know you’ve taken some incredible photos of fish, wildlife and habitats for your magazine and other publications. You are invited to enter your best shots and your image could land the cover of the 2008 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Report! The winning photo will get some nice distribution to other agencies, conservation organizations and more (and bragging rights).

Deadline to enter the Land the Cover Photo Contest is January 9, 2009. Any photograph reproduced in the report will include a photographer credit. Photos may also be showcased in other Association publications and on our soon-to-be redesigned website at www.fishwildlife.org. Of course, you retain the rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the Association use of the image. Digital images must be a resolution of at least 300 dpi and 8” x 10.” To look at previous Annual Report covers, visit www.fishwildlife.org/press_pubs.

Email entries to Laura MacLean at lmaclean@fishwildlife.org.

Alternatively, you can mail a CD to:
Attn: Laura MacLean
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
444 North Capitol St, NW
Suite 725
Washington, DC 20001

Good luck!