# Presentation: 461623

## Waterbird Conservation for the Americas:

**Waterbird Conservation for the Americas:**
**Waterbird Conservation at a Hemispheric Scale**
**Jennifer Wheeler**

## WCC - a bit of history

**1998-1999**  Steering Committee formed to develop plan for colonial species
**2000**  North American Waterbird Conservation Plan launched at Waterbird Society meeting, Plymouth, MA, USA
**2002** North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, Version 1 completed, includes seabirds and non-colonial species
**2003-Present  **2003-present:  Regional waterbird conservation plans developed
**2003  **Waterbird Conservation Council created
**2004**  “Range-wide” waterbird project (funds from NMBCA) commences
**2005**  Waterbird Conservation Council expands initiative scope to include S. America
**2007****  **Joint meeting w/ Waterbirds for the Americas

## Waterbird Conservation for the Americas vision

***The distribution, diversity and abundance of populations and habitats of breeding, migratory, and nonbreeding waterbirds are sustained or restored throughout the lands and waters the Americas.***

**Notes:**
The two words to emphasize are:
SITES—we do site-based conservation, and 
NETWORK—we try to achieve results that can only be accomplished through a coalition of sites; things that no one site could do on its own

## Waterbird Goals:

- To ensure sustainable distributions, diversity and abundance of waterbird species throughout each of their historical or naturally expanding ranges in the lands and waters of North America, Central America, and the
- Caribbean.
- ■ **Habitat Goal**
- To protect, restore, and manage sufficient high quality habitat and key sites for waterbirds throughout the year to meet species and population goals.
- ■ **Education and Information Goal**
- To ensure that information on the conservation of waterbirds is widely available to decision makers, land managers, the public, and all whose actions affect waterbird populations and their habitats.
- ■ **Coordination and Integration Goal**
- To ensure that coordinated conservation efforts for waterbirds in the Americas continue, are guided by common principles, and result in integrated and mutually supportive waterbird conservation

**Waterbird Goals:**

## Waterbird Conservation 

- Regional working groups

- Waterbird Conservation Council

- Coordinator

**Waterbird Conservation **
**for the Americas organization**

- Executive Committee
- Topical Committees

**Notes:**
The sites comprise the heart of the Network.  In some countries (US and Canada currently; soon Mexico and Argentina), national councils have been created to carry out the Network’s goals.  These in turn connect to the Hemispheric Council, made up of volunteer advisors many at the highest levels of their government wildlife agencies, international NGOs or treaty organizations.

The WHSRN Executive Office is based at the Manomet Center for Conservation Science, which employs the staff.

## Waterbird Conservation Council:

**Is responsible for **_**coordinating, supporting, and communicating implementation of plans and activities**_** **
**Is self-appointing, voluntary board of individuals affiliated with organizations **_**concerned about waterbird resources and their conservation**_
**Has two key areas of focus:**
** ****Meeting the ****short-term conservation needs of high priority waterbird populations and habitats**
** ****working towards the ****long term instituionalization of waterbird conservation **

## Waterbird Conservation Council

- No seats
- Principles of membership:
- National representation
- Organization and expertise balance
- Building Conservation Capacity
- Implications: National gaps, council size, organizational vs. personal, evolution from “hands on” to “policy board”

## Topical Committes of Council

- Technical Services
- Regional Planning and Implementation
- Communications
- Policy and Critical Issues Committee
- Resources
- Membership
- Facilitated by Executive

## more information

**more information**

- Jennifer Wheeler
- Coordinator
- Jennifer_A_Wheeler@fws.gov