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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifies birds of conservation concern |
KEYWORDS: birds bird habitat wildlife conservation endangered species threatened species declining species Birds of Conservation Concern 2002 report protect and restore bird habitat species of concern conserving bird species bird art prints
AUTHOR: US Fish and Wildlife Service Press Release
Emphasizing the need to conserve declining species long before they require
the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service today released its Birds of Conservation Concern 2002 report. The
report identifies more than 100 bird species that deserve prompt
conservation attention to stabilize or increase populations or to secure
threatened habitats.
The report will assist efforts by Federal and State agencies, conservation
organizations, private companies, and landowners to protect and restore
bird habitat and reduce the impact of their activities on species of
concern. In addition, species included in this report can be given priority
consideration for funding for research, monitoring, and management.
"We need to do more to protect declining species before they become
threatened or endangered,"said Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton."This list
will help the Fish and Wildlife Service work in partnership with states,
conservation groups, and others with an interest in bird conservation to
take action now to keep species from declining to the point of requiring
listing under the Endangered Species Act. It provides a road map for
conserving hundreds of bird species across the country that have suffered
habitat and population losses."
Developed in consultation with the leaders of ongoing bird conservation
initiatives and partnerships such as Partners in Flight, the North American
Waterbird Conservation Plan and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, the
list prioritizes species based on the threats they face and the declines
they have suffered.
Species that are currently declining or uncommon, have
small ranges, and/or face significant threats to their future survival were
included on the list. The list will be used by a broad array of agencies
and organizations to shape spending and research priorities, habitat
acquisition and restoration needs and to minimize the impacts of their
activities on identified species.
"The Federal government needs to take the lead in efforts to conserve
migratory birds. Release of this report will guide ongoing efforts to avoid
impacts to migratory birds, and enhance migratory bird conservation," said
Service Director Steve Williams.
Release of the 2002 report takes on special significance for Federal
agencies. Executive Order 13186 directs all Federal agencies taking actions
having or likely to have a negative impact on migratory bird populations to
work with the Service to develop an agreement to conserve those birds,
focusing on species identified in the Birds of Conservation Concern 2002 report. As a result, the Service is currently
developing memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with dozens of Federal
agencies that will help guide future agency actions and policy decisions;
renewal of permits, contracts or other agreements; and the creation of or
revisions to land management plans.
In addition to avoiding or minimizing impacts to bird populations of
conservation concern, agencies will be expected to take reasonable steps to
restore and enhance habitats, prevent or abate pollution affecting birds,
and incorporate migratory bird conservation into agency planning processes
whenever possible and to the extent that these actions are compatible with
their primary missions.
The development of an "early warning" list of bird species in potential
trouble is mandated by a 1988 amendment to the Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Act of 1980. The number of such species has grown from 30 in
1987, to 122 in 1995, to 131 in 2002. This growth partly reflects the
addition of eligible species in Hawaii and other U.S. Pacific Islands.
Scientists also know more about the status of some bird species and that
knowledge has increased the pool of eligible species. Publication of the
2002 report is expected to prompt heightened efforts to improve habitat
conditions, conduct monitoring, and initiate status assessments for some of
the highest priority species.
The newly revised report is actually a series of 45 individual lists that
identifies bird species of concern at national, regional and landscape
scales. The lists include a principal national list, seven regional lists
corresponding to the Service's regional administrative units, and species
lists for each of 37 Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) in the U.S.
designated and endorsed by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.
The BCR lists will help focus on-the-ground conservation actions on the
highest priority species. The 1987 and 1995 reports did not identify
species at the BCR level, thus limiting their effectiveness for identifying
species that may be relatively abundant nationally or regionally but in
steep decline in smaller but still ecologically significant areas such as
BCRs.
Copies of the Birds of Conservation Concern 2002 may be obtained by writing
to the Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 4107, Arlington, VA
22203-1610, ATTN: BCC 2002. It is also available for downloading on the
Division of Migratory Bird Management web page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people.
The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands
of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70
national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological
services field stations.
The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit
their home page at http://www.fws.gov.
For more information about this press release, call Tom Mackenzie at (404) 679-7291, or send him an e-mail to:
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