This group of species has received attention lately because many have suffered population declines in the past decade. Across the west, BLM-managed land supports more than 3,000 species of wildlife. The BLM's Surprise Resource Area supports more than 250 species of birds. BLM manages approximately 270 million acres in 11 Western States and Alaska. There are approximately 1.3 million acres in the Surprise Resource Area.
Wildlife management is a cooperative business.
State fish and wildife agencies manage most populations of wildlife, but landowners, including the federal government, manage the habitat. Cooperation is imperative for successful wildife management. BLM cooperates with many agencies, private land owners, and private organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, and The Nature Conservancy, to protect bird habitat. PIF was formed to focus attention on the populations of declining neotropical migratory birds. The partnership is working to establish regional working groups, form international partnerships, and establish new resource monitoring and habitat conservation.