JOINT VENTURES Celebrating 25 Years of Bird Conservation

What are Joint Ventures? Cooperative, regional partnerships working under the guidance of national and international bird conservation plans to protect and restore landscapes that… support healthy bird populations sustain livelihoods provide nature’s benefits to people & wildlife.

Vision JVs share a vision of a landscape where native birds thrive.

JVs: Partnerships that Work  Federal, state, and local government agencies  Non-profit organizations  Corporations  Tribes  Individuals and private landowners  Universities

Model for Collaborative Conservation JV actions include:  Biological planning, conservation design, and prioritization.  Project development and implementation.  Monitoring, evaluation, and research.  Communications, education, and outreach.  Funding support for projects and activities.

The Evolution of Joint Ventures

Waterfowl Habitat Areas of Major Concern in 1986 NAWMP document

In the Beginning…

The Bird Conservation Initiatives

Continued Expansion of Joint Ventures

USFWS 2005 Director’s Order 146  Defines Joint Ventures.  Identifies essential JV functions and responsibilities.  Identifies role of Management Board and JV Coordinator.  Provides guidelines for FWS roles and responsibilities.  Establishes implementation plan approval process.  Part of USFWS Policy.

Joint Venture Map, 2011

Joint Venture Partner Contributions  18.5 million acres of habitats  35:1 leverage of Congressional funds  > 5,700 partners  Wetland birds rebound, show amazing resiliency

Strategic Habitat Conservation

JVs: An Investment in Our Future  Protected habitats provide safe environment.  Controlling floods  Buffering coastal erosion  Recharging groundwater  Promoting carbon sequestration  Filter pollutants/enhance water quality  Reduce impacts of climate change.

JVs: An Investment for Our Children  Protect habitats as places for  Children to connect with the natural world.  Hunting and fishing.  Birdwatchers and photographers.  All outdoor enthusiasts.

JV and State Wildlife Action Plans  JVs and States collaborate on  Leveraging funds  Assembling partnerships  Monitoring, evaluation, and research  Achieving common goals and objectives  Coordination = Efficiency

Examples of JV Activities Fostering partnerships Applied science Species recovery Habitat conservation Education and outreach

Ideas for individual JVs and Activities  Mission, Vision, Strategies  How old is your JV and how far has it come?  Map of boundaries (alongside national 2011 map)  Example of significant project, species that will benefit and partners involved  Include contact information

Adaptive Management: Responding to Gulf Crisis  Gulf Coast JV responds to Deepwater Horizon Spill.  Developed models identifying habitat needs for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds.  Partners enhanced most appropriate shallow water wetlands to provide alternative habitat.

Adaptive Management: Modeling Land Use Impacts  Energy development can result in fragmentation of forest blocks.  Appalachian Mountain JV modeled cumulative impacts of energy development on PA’s forest- interior birds.  Securing funding to assess potential impacts across entire region.

Species Recovery: Improving Land Management  Intermountain West JV partnering with NRCS on Sage-Grouse Initiative.  Fostering sustainable ranching at landscape scale by working with ranchers.  750,000 acres of sagebrush habitat strategically targeted for improvement.

Species Recovery: Creating Decision Support Tools  Playa Lakes JV developed mapping tool to guide Lesser Prairie-Chicken habitat conservation.

Fostering partnerships: Mexican Regional Alliances  Sonoran and Rio Grande JV partners support creation of 8-state ecoregional partnership to conserve Chihuahuan desert grasslands of northern Mexico.

Habitat Conservation: Protection and Restoration  Pacific Coast JV partners helped add more than 92,000 acres to National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon and Alaska.  Protected key sites for migratory birds.  Estuary restoration will help wildlife adapt to impacts of climate change and sea level rise on critical coastal habitats.

Education and Outreach: Strategic Communications  Playa Lakes JV grant helped TX partner educate local communities about the value of playas.  Birds and other wildlife benefit from playa conservation.  Recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer.

JV Celebrate 25 years of Bird Conservation: Challenges Remain  Climate change/sea level rise  Energy development  Incompatible land use practices  Invasive/exotic species  Development  Pollution  Unsustainable grazing and fishing  Detrimental national policies Insert STOB report covers

How You Can Help  Get involved – offer your skills to the partnership.  Find out what the Joint Venture partnership can offer your organization or cause.  Support Joint Venture funding.  Spread the word –  Birds and healthy landscapes are important to our quality of life.  Joint Ventures are making a positive difference for birds across the landscape.