September 2015 nawmp.wetlandnetwork.ca HabitatMatters 2015 Canadian NAWMP Report Mallard Pair – Early Winter Robert Bateman North American Waterfowl Management Plan —— Plan nord-américain de gestion de la sauvagine —— Plan de Manejo de Aves 2015 Canadian North American Waterfowl Management Plan Report AcuáticasHabitat MattersNorteaméricaa ContentsTable of 1 About the NAWMP 2 National Overview 2 Accomplishments 3 Expenditures and Contributions 4 Special Feature – NAWCA’s 25th Anniversary 6 Habitat Joint Ventures 7 Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture 12 Canadian Intermountain Joint Venture 16 Prairie Habitat Joint Venture 21 Eastern Habitat Joint Venture 26 Species Joint Ventures 27 Black Duck Joint Venture 29 Sea Duck Joint Venture 31 Arctic Goose Joint Venture 33 Partners b Habitat Matters 2015 Canadian North American Waterfowl Management Plan Report About the NAWMP Ducks congregate at a prairie pothole wetland. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP or ©Ducks Unlimited Canada/Brian Wolitski ‘the Plan’) is an international partnership to restore, conserve and protect waterfowl populations and associated habitats through management decisions based on strong biological partnership extends across North America, working at national foundations. The ultimate goal is to achieve abundant and and regional levels on a variety of waterfowl and habitat resilient waterfowl populations and sustainable landscapes. management issues. The Plan engages the community of users and supporters committed to conservation and valuing waterfowl. Since the creation of the Plan, NAWMP partners have worked to conserve and restore wetlands, associated uplands and In 1986, the Canadian and United States governments other key habitats for waterfowl across Canada, the United signed this international partnership agreement, laying the States and Mexico. The partners have had wide-ranging foundation for international cooperation in the recovery of influence: shaping land-use, agricultural and public policies; declining waterfowl populations. Mexico became a signatory integrating science and monitoring systems into planning; to the Plan with its update in 1994. As a result, the NAWMP and delivering habitat programs. The results of these efforts are notable. Many waterfowl populations are substantially larger now than they were in 1986, and NAWMP Terminology used in this report partners have reached out to collaborate with other bird Securement The protection of wetland and/or upland habitat through land title conservation initiatives. transfer or binding long-term (minimum 10-year) legal agreements with a landowner. In Canada, NAWMP partner activities are directed by public– Influence private Joint Venture partnerships, which focus on areas or Direct actions taken by landowners, land managers or conservation species of concern identified in the Plan. Each Joint Venture agencies that protect or enhance wetland or associated upland habitats without legal or binding agreements. These direct actions includes a range of partners from federal, provincial and local result in applied land-use changes. governments to conservation organizations. Implementation Enhancement or Strategic Plans, developed based on the Plan’s goals as well Actions carried out on secured wetland and/or upland habitats to as on pressures specific to the Joint Ventures, form the basis of increase their carrying capacity for wetland-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. each Joint Venture’s programs and individual projects. Management Activities conducted on secured wetland and/or upland habitats to manage and maintain their carrying capacity for wetland-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. 2015 Canadian North American Waterfowl Management Plan Report Habitat Matters 1 OverviewNational Accomplishments by Habitat Joint Ventures (1986–2015) 19.9 138.8 3.5 11.0 Million acres of habitat Million acres of habitat Million acres of habitat Million acres of habitat secured influenced enhanced managed (8.0 M Hectares) (56.2 M Hectares) (1.4 M Hectares) (4.4 M Hectares) Involves the protection of Involves direct actions Involves actions that Involves activities that habitat through land title that protect or enhance increase habitat carrying manage and maintain transfer or binding long- habitat without legal or capacity for waterfowl habitat carrying capacity term legal agreements binding agreements. and other wildlife. for waterfowl and other with landowners These actions result in wildlife. (10-year minimum). applied land use change. Accomplishments by Habitat Joint Ventures (2014–2015) 134.6 24.1 38.4 745.4 Thousand acres of habitat Million acres of habitat Thousand acres of habitat Thousand acres of habitat secured influenced enhanced managed (54.5 K Hectares) (9.7 M Hectares) (15.5 K Hectares) (301.6 K Hectares) 2 Habitat Matters 2015 Canadian North American Waterfowl Management Plan Report Expenditures Contributions By activity 1986 to 2015 In support of the NAWMP in Canada 1986 to 2015 ($2,090 M CAD) ($2,120 M CAD) Securement $911 M Total $2,120 M Influence Other Acvies1 $166 M $285 M U.S. Non-Federal Enhancement $490 M $284 M Habitat JV Science $229 M U.S. Federal Species JV $540 M Management Acvies2 $175 M $40 M 1 Coordinaon, communicaon, policy and crop damage Total U.S. 2 Banding, survey and research $1,030 M Canadian Provincial & Territorial $323 M The successful implementation of Canada’s NAWMP program has been enabled by the continuous support Canadian Federal of partners in both Canada and the United States, $369 M including federal, provincial and state governments, Canadian Other non-governmental organizations and individuals. In $398 M particular, funding received under the United States’ 1989 North American Wetlands Conservation Act has been integral to the success and longevity of the Canadian program. Total Canadian $1,090 M Internaonal $0.2 M 2015 Canadian North American Waterfowl Management Plan Report Habitat Matters 3 NAWCA’s 25th Anniversary Canvasback in a prairie pothole wetland. th ©Ducks Unlimited Canada/Brian Wolitski 2014 marked the 25 anniversary of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Signed on December 13, 1989, by U.S. President George Bush, NAWCA was enacted “to conserve North American wetland ecosystems and waterfowl and the other migratory birds and fish and wildlife that depend upon such habitats.” NAWCA has provided a funding mechanism for on-the-ground conservation projects that advance the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) objectives In Canada, NAWCA to benefit waterfowl and wetland conservation in the United States, Mexico and funding and the matched Canada. Under NAWCA, the U.S. federal funding granted to each project must be funding have been matched dollar-for-dollar by funding from other sources. In Canada, NAWCA funding extremely important in and the matched funding have been extremely important in making progress towards conserving waterfowl and wetland habitat, which are continental goals of making progress towards the NAWMP. conserving waterfowl and During the past 25 years, seven Canadian grantees, including Ducks Unlimited wetland habitat, which are Canada (DUC), the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Manitoba Habitat continental goals of the Heritage Corporation, have successfully submitted over 400 wetland conservation NAWMP. project applications to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for NAWCA funding. These project applications have targeted over 14 million acres (5.6 million hectares) of wetland and upland habitats for long-term securement in priority areas of the Canadian portions of the Habitat Joint Ventures. Additionally, under these projects, over 2 million acres (809,000 hectares) of NAWCA-secured wetland and upland habitats have been targeted for enhancement to increase their carrying capacity for waterfowl and other wetland-dependant wildlife. 4 Habitat Matters 2015 Canadian North American Waterfowl Management Plan Report Prairie pothole wetland. ©Ducks Unlimited Canada/Brian Wolitski NAWCA has provided a financial platform by which partners can leverage their resources in collective efforts to change the conservation landscape of North America. The primary Canadian grantee over the course of NAWCA has Kehoe cautions, however, that habitat continues to be lost been DUC. In reflecting on the importance of NAWCA, Pat or compromised to meet the needs of a growing human Kehoe, Director of International Partnerships at DUC, noted population, so major challenges lie ahead. “We must not that “NAWCA has been the financial backbone of the NAWMP become complacent and rest on our current success,” he said. for the past 25 years.” NAWCA has provided a financial “It is almost certain that the high waterfowl populations we platform by which partners can leverage their resources in enjoy today cannot be sustained without continued habitat collective efforts to change the conservation landscape of conservation.” He believes that it will be critical to adapt North America. “DUC’s partnership with State Fish and Wildlife programs as demands increase for land to meet human needs. agencies has grown tremendously in significant part to the “NAWMP partners must continue to work together, seek to matching funds available through NAWCA for conservation on broaden the partnership and open public awareness to ensure the Canadian breeding grounds,” said Kehoe. sustainability of waterfowl populations into the future.” NAWMP and NAWCA have also been fundamental in advancing our knowledge of habitat