Director Steve Williams Before the Policy Council of the American Bird Conservancy

March 14, 2002

Thank you. It is a great privilege to speak before a group of such distinguished bird conservationists. To think that one hundred years ago, people like us sat in a room and discussed the challenges of the day: the need to address the fashion industry's penchant for feathers, and to draft a Federal law to do something about the impact of market hunting. We have come a long way since then. Much of the progress we have made is due to the efforts of thousands of dedicated people like you. On behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I thank you for your hard work and for your concern for wildlife conservation and management.

This afternoon I'd like to share my thoughts on some of the emerging partnership opportunities that I believe will help us address the most significant challenges facing bird conservation in this new century. The most prominent is the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, or NABCI. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk about opportunities to strengthen our efforts in three areas that have been embraced by the U.S. NABCI committee: science, large scale planning, and the forging of new, innovative partnerships.

Let us start with science. We have a tremendous need for science that is beyond reproach. It is essential, for instance, when we deal with contentious issues, such as overabundant populations of snow geese, cormorants, and resident Canada geese. These are complicated matters and there is no way around the fact that the Service will always hear from people who have some objection to our course of action. They may not think we are doing enough. They may argue we are doing too much. Or they may just flat-out object to our methods. In all cases, the important thing is to have solid science backing up our management actions.

As I am sure this group is aware, the 2003 update of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan is focused on improving the science base. An important part of that involves bird monitoring. As ambitious as the North American Waterfowl Management Plan is already, I propose all of us consider going even further. I believe that if we coordinate our efforts, we can develop monitoring programs for all bird species across the United States. This type of comprehensive information would make for a powerful priority-setting and management-guidance tool.

To a large extent, the building blocks are already in place. Several programs are underway through initiatives like the one I already mentioned – the North American Waterfowl Management Plan – and also Partners in Flight, the Shorebird Conservation Plan, and the Waterbird Plan. Thanks to the science embodied in these initiatives, I am pleased to say that in a few months the Service will be releasing the Birds of Conservation Concern as required by Congress. This is a list of birds that we feel deserves our attention due to the status of their population. Our hope is that by drawing attention to their plight, we will be able to rally efforts and keep the species from requiring the Endangered Species Act's protection. A comprehensive system of monitoring programs could better provide us with more of the information needed to head off an ESA listing.

We are not that far away from realizing such a system. NABCI can serve as a forum to do just that. For the past 15 years, we have done a remarkable job with all of the bird management plans, but with better coordination, we can leverage our efforts and do even more. NABCI was created to bring us all together and explore the possibilities. This does not imply that, for the sake of other birds, we need to dilute our dedication to, say, shorebirds, for instance. But it does challenge us to think beyond just shorebirds and consider how our efforts might dovetail with each other. I look forward to working with many of you as the co-chair of the U.S. NABCI Committee. This is an important endeavor. I see it as the next natural step in the evolving conservation trend to think large.

Scientific data collection is in many ways the most important aspect of bird conservation. It is the foundation on which effective conservation projects are built. Therefore, we must make sure our foundation is sound. And I cannot stress enough that we must also avoid even the appearance of having taken scientific shortcuts. Even the perception of a weak foundation is enough to hamper even the best laid conservation plans.

And that brings me to my second topic – large scale planning. Over the years we have come to realize that focusing conservation efforts on a single species, isolated from the context of its ecology and environment, is not enough. Neither is it enough to set aside portions of habitat as protected areas. This is particularly true for birds, especially migratory species, which require suitable habitat across great distances. What we need is a strategic planning approach that takes into account human needs and activities in order to develop landscape habitat models aimed at ensuring sustainable wildlife populations over time.

Right now, National Wildlife Refuges across the country are engaged in this type of strategic planning. Next year marks the100th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a network of lands, it should be noted, that was originally established to benefit bird conservation. Over the next few years, each of the more than 500 wildlife refuges will prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan, a strategic plan that addresses conservation issues in the context of the greater landscape, and not just the refuge. The Bird Conservation Plans developed by the bird initiatives play an important role in the development of these plans. This is a perfect opportunity for the American Bird Conservancy to lend expert support to the managers of some of the most important bird areas in the United States. I encourage you to contact refuges near you and explore partnership opportunities.

The American Bird Conservancy could also be helpful to federal agencies besides the Service. A recent Executive Order asks federal agencies to consider their responsibilities under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Several agencies from the Forest Service to the Bureau of Land Management to the Federal Highway Administration are rising to the challenge and are working with the Service to draft MOUs. We hope there will be significant benefits to bird conservation from this effort and I'm sure Jon Andrew will be talking more about this situation.

Large-scale conservation planning requires us to forge working relationships with all kinds of land users, from the government to the private landowner to the recreation community to the industry groups. And that leads into my final topic, which is the need for us to develop new, innovative partnership opportunities. I have a lot of ground to cover in this area, but before I do, I want to say a few words on behalf of some of the conservation movement's long-standing, loyal partners.

The sportsmen and women of this country have provided the financial and political support for the major conservation successes of this nation. Yet many of these traditional partners feel left behind as the movement has grown. I do not believe that we need to abandon those who first helped to establish some of our most effective conservation programs, who supported wildlife conservation efforts through the years, and who now desperately want to continue to be a part of the wildlife conservation community. Many of these groups continue to be effective advocates for wildlife.

As a wildlife manager, and as an avid hunter, it frustrates me to see the Fish and Wildlife Service's traditional constituency – the hunters and anglers – and its newer constituency – the scientific and environmental groups – depicted as adversaries. In my 20-year professional career, I have observed that although there are differences, both groups share a great deal in common. Both want abundant wildlife. Both want wildlife to be varied and broadly distributed. And both want truly wild wildlife. In my mind, both are wildlife conservationists and as such should be able to work together more closely than they have in the past. If the wildlife conservation community is able to speak with a unified, powerful voice, we will be able to overcome any wildlife conservation challenge. So it is important to remember our old friends as we make new ones.

With that said, let me turn back to the emerging opportunities for new partnerships. The biggest development is Interior Secretary Gale Norton's 100 million dollar Cooperative Conservation Initiative, or CCI. This initiative will provide a comprehensive approach to conservation, one that provides resources for landowners, land-user groups, environmental organizations, communities, federal, state, and local governments, and businesses to undertake innovative land conservation projects. By advocating sound land management techniques, this program will benefit birds and other wildlife. It opens the door for greater citizen involvement in bird conservation, especially on private land.

Another new program, the State Wildlife Grants, provides funding for states and tribes to develop and implement a wide variety of conservation programs to benefit the full array of wildlife species and habitats. It is likely that many states will opt to fund various bird conservation initiatives, thanks in large part to the bird conservation plans that have been developed.

And, of course, there is the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which this year provided 43.5 million in funding for diverse partnerships to restore wetland habitats. To date, the Act has funded close to 1,000 projects in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, involving more than 1,700 partners. Right now, the North American Wetlands Council, which makes funding recommendations, is looking for projects under Partners in Flight, and the shorebird and waterbird plans to benefit wetlands and associated habitats.

There are emerging opportunities with industry groups, as well. I commend the American Bird Conservancy on the recent long-line fishing report. I assure you that the Fish and Wildlife Service is working diligently on this issue. Regarding bird bycatch in longline fishing gear, we participated in 9 briefings with Congressional staff, industry, and conservation groups. As part of our responsibilities under the U.S. National Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries, we are preparing an assessment of the impacts of fisheries on seabirds in the United States. The assessment is due to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization by February 2003. We would greatly appreciate any information the American Bird Conservancy can provide to make the assessment as complete as possible. Additionally, we welcome your help in addressing the take of birds by gillnets. Right now, the Service's Waterbird Bycatch Working Group is developing a plan of action to address all bird-fisheries bycatch interactions, and your suggestions would be welcome.

I would like to see a more concerted effort to help other industry groups address bird conflicts. For instance, the Service has been reaching out to the communication industry to address problems associated with communication towers. Thanks to a commitment just last week from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we are establishing a matching grant program for the industry to help fund pilot studies examining the effects on birds of lighting, guy wires, GIS, tower height, and deterrent mechanisms.

There are also new opportunities to expand efforts abroad. A new international MOU born out of NABCI is being circulated for comment in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. If you haven't seen it yet, there are copies for you in the back. We hope that over time, more countries will sign on to this MOU, creating a framework for international cooperation in the conservation of migratory and resident birds. By this summer, we hope to have a final version signed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. To make that possible, we ask that you provide your comments by April 10.

Also in the back you will find application guidelines for grants under the new Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. This fiscal year, we are making three million dollars in grants available. Of that amount, 25 percent is for bird conservation projects here in the U.S. and the remaining 75 percent is dedicated to efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean. The grants require a 3 to 1 match and they must be postmarked by April 5. I know many of the groups represented here have many worthwhile projects underway, and I strongly urge you to consider submitting a proposal.

There are doubtless many other opportunities to reach out to a broader constituency. I hope the ones I just mentioned sparked some ideas of your own.

To sum up, I would like to see the Service work more closely with the American Bird Conservancy to strengthen our scientific bird data, implement more ambitious large scale plans, and develop more partnerships to provide effective on-the-ground conservation. Now I would like to hear your comments and answer any questions you might have.