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

Biological Planning & Design  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? Why go to all the trouble??

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?

Development of the Plan 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 Synthesis of Existing Information Primary Literature

Development of the Plan

Minden, LA Rick Evans Conservation Ed. Center, AR Woodworth, LA  Three Workshops  Numerous conference calls and exchanges

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

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

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)

Began with 2003 Draft PIF Plan List

Remove species NOT in any SWAP GCN List

Remove species for which Open Pine is NOT their primary habitat

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

Priority Species Umbrella Species

Red-Cockaded WP Objectives  Simply adopted RCWO Recovery Plan 2 nd Revision objectives

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)

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 Three Time Horizons BACS, BHNU, NOBO

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

Development of Habitat Objectives Medium- and Long-term Objectives

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

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)