The Landscape Conservation Framework of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture

1. The Landscape Conservation Framework of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Background for Discussions on Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Andrew Milliken, ACJV Coordinator Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Management Board Meeting Baltimore, Maryland December 3, 2009

2. ACJV Landscape Conservation Framework • ACJV Background, Mission and Geography • Conservation Framework and Science in the ACJV • Biological planning in BCRs and JV wide • Conservation design approaches • Integrated monitoring and management • Research • Climate change adaptation planning

3. Vision Partners working together for the conservation of native bird species in the Atlantic Flyway region of the United States Partners • 16 A.F. States + Puerto Rico • USFWS, USGS, NPS, USFS • TNC, DU, WMI, NFWF

4. Mission The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture will provide a forum for federal, state, regional and local partners to coordinate and improve the effectiveness of bird habitat conservation planning, implementation and evaluation in the Atlantic Flyway region of the United States.

5. Major Bird Conservation Initiatives North American Waterfowl Management Plan Partners in Flight U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan North American Waterbird Conservation Plan Upland Game Bird Initiatives: NBCI, Woodcock Management Plan, IAFWA Resident Game Birds

6. Lower Great LakesSt. Lawrence Plain Atlantic Northern Forest BirdConservationRegions New England Mid Atlantic Appalachian Mountains Piedmont Southeast Coastal Plain Peninsular Florida Puerto Rico

7. ACJV Boundaries aligned with BCRs

8. Overlay of ACJV and LCC Boundaries Caribbean

9. Plan and implement at appropriate spatial scales • Plan using ecologically-defined units that reflect our best understanding of how birds respond to habitats at broad spatial scales • Flyway • Atlantic Coast • Ecoregional (e.g. Bird Conservation Region) • Implement at scales that recognize administrative or management responsibilities and local partnerships • USFWS Region • State • Focus Area or Project • Site

10. Conservation Coordination and Delivery • Providing the structure, information and resources to those funding and implementing habitat conservation at a variety of scales to achieve bird conservation goals. • Management Board • Game Bird Technical Committee • Nongame Bird Technical Committee • Integrated Bird Steering Committee and subcommittees • BCR Working Groups • Estuary Working Groups • State and Focus Area Working Groups • Agencies/Organizations • Land Managers • Private Landowners JV/Flyway/Atl. Coast Regional Local

11. Atlantic Flyway Council Atlantic Flyway Migratory Gamebird Technical Section Atlantic Flyway Migratory Nongame Bird Technical Section

12. ACJV Plans

13. ACJV Acres Conserved 1988-2009 • Five Million Acres Conserved!

14. ACJV Acres Conserved 1988-2009 • So what?

15. Questions for a Strategic Conservation Framework • Are we doing enough of the right (habitat conservation) things in the right places to sustain bird populations? • And will these still be enough of the right things in the right places in the future with impacts due to climate change, urban growth and other factors? • How do we best (most efficiently) plan, design, implement and evaluate conservation in ways that allow us to answer these questions? • Should we be asking these questions separately about birds or about other taxa at the same time?

16. Strategic Habitat Conservation Framework

17. Components, Goals & Objectives Biological Planning Compile and provide information on priority bird species and their relationship to habitats to provide a biological basis for conservation actions • Structure and Plans • Biological Foundation Plan, Waterfowl Implementation Plan, BCR Plans, Marine Birds Cooperative, Web-based information • Steps • Priority species, representative spp., population objectives, threats & limiting factors, species-habitat models

18. Components, Goals & Objectives Conservation Design Provide tools to guide management decisions to efficiently achieve bird conservation (and associated wildlife and fish) habitat objectives. • Information available at appropriate scales • Spatial databases, decision support tools • Steps • Existing habitat capacity, habitat objectives,landscape change, future habitat capacity, decision support tools, protected and managed lands databases, optimal landscape designs

19. Components, Goals & Objectives Monitoring and Evaluation Facilitate monitoring of bird populations and habitats to assess the effectiveness of conservation actions and track conservation projects to assess progress and guide future actions. • Population Monitoring • Utilize and coordinate existing monitoring, design new monitoring, flyway waterbird monitoring • Habitat Monitoring • Explore options for habitat monitoring, assess net change in habitat types • Conservation Tracking • ACJV project tracking, spatial protected and managed lands databases

20. Components, Goals & Objectives Research Provide a structure and process that generates, attracts, leverages, and implements priority assumption-driven research activities in support of joint venture established objectives • Research Coordination and Funding • Identify research needs, seek funds through grants and programs • Research Prioritization • Target research to address key uncertainties, conduct sensitivity analysis

21. Outside Funding 2007-2009

22. ACJV partnership, planning and structure should facilitate conservation science And link that science to efficient and effective management With common goal of landscapes that sustain populations of birds at objective levels Summary ACJV role is facilitating science and linking to delivery