West Gulf Coastal Plain/ Ouachitas Open Pine Landbird Plan

1. West Gulf Coastal Plain/OuachitasOpen Pine Landbird Plan Report to the Interim Steering Committee Eric Baka, Louisiana Dept. Of Wildlife & Fisheries WGCPO Landbird WG, Open Pine Chair

3. Biological Planning & Design Why go to all the trouble?? • WHAT does “good” habitat look like? • Guild specific answers for landbirds • HOW MUCH is needed to achieve objective? • What IS the objective… HOW MANY? • WHERE do we need to put all this “good” habitat? • Anywhere?

4. Development of the Plan WGCP/O JV tasked with stepping down the PIF landbird objectives for the BCR Further focusing population objectives to habitats within the ecoregion Where to start?

5. Development of the Plan Synthesis of Existing Information WGCPO Landbird Working Group 2003 Draft WGCP PIF Plan National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative N.A. Landbird Conservation Plan (PIF) USFWS Birds of Conservation Concern RCWO Recovery Plan State Wildlife Action Plans Primary Literature

6. Development of the Plan WGCPO Landbird Working Group

7. Development of the Plan • Three Workshops WGCPO Landbird Working Group • Rick Evans • Conservation Ed. Center, AR • Numerous conference calls and email exchanges • Minden, LA • Woodworth, LA

8. Umbrella Species Open Pine Plan – Basic Elements Population Objective Habitat Objective Current Population Existing Habitat ? Clearly Articulated Rationale & Assumptions Information/Data Information/Data

9. Open Pine Habitat - Defined “Forest that is greater than 80 percent pine, with canopy cover between 25 and 60%.”

10. Priority Species Develop a list of species of conservation concern beginning with the 2003 PIF landbird plan for WGCP/O ecoregion Present a clear rationale for inclusion or removal as a priority species Further focus priority species to manageable size to track results of management actions (Umbrella Species)

11. Began with 2003 Draft PIF Plan List

12. Remove species NOT in any SWAP GCN List

13. Remove species for which Open Pine is NOT their primary habitat

15. Return wild turkey to the list: high public profile, potential to facilitate conservation action for other priorities

16. Priority Species Umbrella Species

17. Umbrella Species

18. Red-Cockaded WP Objectives • Simply adopted RCWO Recovery Plan 2nd Revision objectives

19. Northern Bobwhite Objectives • Attempted to incorporate NBCI objectives • Nature of Biologists Rating Index proved problematic in developing a truly ecoregional set of objectives (High BRI limited to AR & LA)

20. Development of Pop. Objectives • Short-term: stabilize population trend as indexed by change in BBS abundance over the past 5 years • Medium-term: return populations to baseline levels of the 1980’s • Long-term: return populations to baseline levels of 1968 BACS, BHNU, NOBO Three Time Horizons

21. Development of Pop. Objectives Short-term Objective Reverse the negative 5-year trend

22. Development of Habitat Objectives Medium- and Long-term Objectives

23. Bringing It All Together • Developed a draft open pine habitat plan • Identifies habitat objectives for 4 umbrella species • Details management actions that enhance and maintain open pine habitat for each • Recommended monitoring protocols (BBS routes w/distance sampling, RCWO demographic monitoring) • Solicit final comments from WGCP/O management board

24. Looking Ahead Return final comments by September 1, 2011 Moving ahead with Bottomland Hardwood & Riparian landbird planning Moving ahead with early successional pine planning Request partner representatives for these planning efforts (not necessarily the same people)