Conserving North American Waterfowl, Wetlands Remains Priority

Washington — The signing of the 2012 Revision of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan demonstrates the commitment Mexico, Canada and the United States have to one of the largest and most successful continent-wide conservation initiatives ever undertaken, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The revision "provides a renewed and energized vision for the future of waterfowl and wetlands conservation,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said at the 75th anniversary National Conference of Ducks Unlimited Inc. “The blueprint lays out an adaptable waterfowl management strategy that leverages international resources to ensure abundant waterfowl populations and preserves habitat to support hunting and other recreational uses.”

Waterfowl are among North America’s most valued natural resources. In 2006, an estimated 87.5 million Americans spent $122.3 billion on wildlife-related recreation, including 1.8 million waterfowl hunters who spent nearly $1 billion on trips and equipment, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The importance of waterfowl, in both ecological and economic terms, has placed waterfowl managers at the forefront of the conservation profession,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “It’s fitting that we’re signing today’s agreement in the presence of Ducks Unlimited, an organization that has really led the way when it comes to conserving habitat for the benefit of waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. This revision acknowledges and embraces a 21st century approach to landscape-level conservation that is truly community-driven.”

First signed in 1986 by the United States and Canada, with Mexico becoming a signatory in 1994, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan is an international strategy for conserving migratory waterfowl throughout the continent. It has remained a leading model for other international conservation plans, in large measure because it is an evolving document that is updated periodically with engagement and input from the waterfowl conservation community, according to the Department of the Interior.

The plan is implemented largely by public-private partnerships known as Migratory Bird Joint Ventures. As of 2011, the joint ventures in the U.S. and Canada had collectively conserved more than 15.7 million acres of habitat.

Available at www.nawmprevision.org, the 2012 revision sets forth three overarching goals for waterfowl conservation: 1) abundant and resilient waterfowl populations to support hunting and other recreational uses without imperiling habitat; 2) sufficient wetlands and related habitats to sustain waterfowl populations at desired levels, while providing places to recreate and ecological services that benefit society; and 3) growing numbers of waterfowl hunters, other conservationists and citizens who enjoy and actively support waterfowl and wetlands conservation. The third goal, new to the Plan under the 2012 revision, underscores the importance of people to the success of waterfowl and wetlands conservation.