Field data to effective conservation: Building sustainable - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Field data to effective conservation: Building sustainable populations for threatened southeastern raptors Kenneth D. Meyer, PhD Avian Research and Conservation Institute Gainesville, Florida www.arcinst.org

Partnership Overview Avian Research and Conservation Institute: Problem-solving research on rare and imperiled birds to inform conservation action ARCI’s partnership with NFWF and Southern Company over the last 10 years has developed and applied science-based management actions for threatened raptors of southeastern forests. Our partners include: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Turner Foundation Georgia Department of Natural Resources The Nature Conservancy US Fish and Wildlife Service St. Catherines Island Foundation South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Turner Foundation Felburn Foundation Rayonier Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund Plum Creek Timber Company US Forest Service International Paper US Geological Survey Orleans Audubon Society US National Park Service

Accomplishments 1. Determine wintering sites and assess risks 2. Apply nest-site treatments, increase reproduction 3. Produce forest-management recommendations 4. Train forest managers in best practices; report outcomes, stay engaged 5. Provide explicit guidance for scaled management applications: nest, forest, landscape mosaic, multi-state 1. Improve understanding of historic distribution and habitat associations 2. Design long-term management for the remaining core populations 3. Promote specific nest-box programs for demographic and educational value 4. Determine interest and capacity for population enhancement and restoration

Partnership Impact The support to conduct challenging research across state and national boundaries – critical for bird conservation. Spring migration 14% Summer 38% 22% Winter 26% Fall migration

Indirect Outcomes • Identifying unapplied human and logistic resources • Benefitting from networking and educational values of annual meetings • Having the support to discover and coordinate independent endeavors

Lessons Learned • Value of developing recommendations across scales – many roles • Distributions of core sub-populations are conducive to effective site-specific management actions, which then serve as models for other sites. • Share outcomes and adapt strategies promptly; use all media to update, acknowledge, encourage…

Looking Forward • Strive for multi-scale management applications • Point to demonstration sites and case studies • Capitalize on public-private partnerships • Encourage and acknowledge local investment • Reach consensus on limiting factors, priority sub-populations and management strategies • Raise awareness and sense of urgency • Eliminate redundancy, share resources • Build a range-wide perspective www.arcinst.org