Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Implementation Plan 2015 – 2020 Partners Conserving Wetland and Associated Upland Habitat for Birds North American Waterfowl Management Plan —— Plan nord-américain de gestion de la sauvagine —— Plan de Manejo de Aves Acuáticas Norteamérica Cover photos (from top to bottom): 1 Ontario Wetland/David MacLachlan 2 Least Bittern/E. Buck and J. Bensette 3 Children taking in the beauty of Montmagny Marsh./Daniel Thibault 4 Virgina Rail/T. Buchanan 5 Maritime Salt Marsh/Margaret Campbell 6 Black Duck/J. Mills Recommended Citation: Eastern Habitat Joint Venture. 2017. Eastern Habitat Joint Venture North American Waterfowl Management Plan Implementation Plan 2015-2020. Report of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. Table of Contents List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................................................iii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................................................iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE (SCOPE AND FORMAT) ..........................................................................................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................4 EHJV Vision ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 EHJV Mission ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 EHJV Goals (2015-2020) ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Bird Populations ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Habitat ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 People ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 EHJV Accomplishments ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2. BIOLOGICAL PLANNING .................................................................................................................................9 Biological Planning Units .................................................................................................................................... 9 Priority Bird Species ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Priority Species: Waterfowl ....................................................................................................................... 9 Priority Bird Species: Other Birds ............................................................................................................ 10 Population Objectives ......................................................................................................................................12 Waterfowl ................................................................................................................................................12 Other Birds ..............................................................................................................................................14 Limiting Factors ................................................................................................................................................14 Habitat Species Relationships .......................................................................................................................... 16 Black Duck Joint Venture ......................................................................................................................... 16 Sea Duck Joint Venture ........................................................................................................................... 17 3. CONSERVATION DESIGN ...........................................................................................................................18 Landscape/Habitat Characterization and Assessment .................................................................................... 18 Decision Support Tools .....................................................................................................................................18 Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC’s) Waterfowl Priority Areas ................................................................... 18 Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Conservation System ......................................................................... 20 Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Conservation Agenda ........................................... 20 Habitat Objectives ............................................................................................................................................21 Progress Toward Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 23 EHJV Implementation Plan 2015 – 2020 i 4. HABITAT DELIVERY ....................................................................................................................................24 Conservation Programs and Initiatives ............................................................................................................ 24 Habitat Retention (Permanent, Medium and Short-term) ..................................................................... 24 Habitat Restoration (Wetland and Upland) ............................................................................................ 25 Land and Water Policy ............................................................................................................................ 26 Management of Habitat Assets .............................................................................................................. 26 Conservation Planning ............................................................................................................................ 27 Science ....................................................................................................................................................27 Communications, Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 28 Expenditure Forecast .......................................................................................................................................29 5. MONITORING ............................................................................................................................................31 Conservation Tracking ......................................................................................................................................31 Population Monitoring Programs..................................................................................................................... 31 Surveys for Other Birds ........................................................................................................................... 31 Eastern Waterfowl Survey ....................................................................................................................... 37 6. HUMAN DIMENSIONS ...............................................................................................................................35 LITERATURE CITED ..........................................................................................................................................37 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................................................38 Appendix 1:Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Organizational Structure .............................................................. 38 Appendix 2: Priority Species by Bird Conservation Regions (BCR) and within the EHJV (adapted from BCR Strategies). ........................................................................................................................ 39 Appendix 3: Additional Provincial Priority Breeding Waterfowl Species ........................................................ 46 Appendix 4: EHJV Provincial Habitat Objectives .............................................................................................. 47 Ontario Provincial Summary ................................................................................................................... 47 Québec Provincial Summary ................................................................................................................... 50 New Brunswick Provincial Summary .....................................................................................................