The 2012 North American Waterfowl Management Plan – People Conserving Waterfowl and Wetlands presents a bold renewed vision for the future, grounded in 25 years of implementation of the 1986 North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Since its creation, the Plan has achieved wetlands and waterfowl conservation successes by adopting a partner-based model that has been broadly acclaimed and widely emulated.
Building on a remarkable legacy of coordinated public-private strategies for managing waterfowl, our three countries have embarked on an ambitious journey to achieve a new conservation vision. Extensive public consultations have confirmed that we need to pursue abundant and resilient waterfowl populations and sustainable landscapes, through management decisions based on strong biological foundations. This Plan focuses more than ever on expanding an engaged community of users and supporters. This includes hunters and a non-hunting public, both committed to conservation and valuing waterfowl and their habitat as essential characteristics of the North American landscape. Citizens of our three countries ascribe increasing value to the broad suite of ecological values associated with wetlands and other important waterfowl habitats. They place their trust in science-based management that ensures sustainable populations of waterfowl. This Plan responds to the changing needs of our evolving societies while respecting and recommitting to the rich traditions that have been ours since before the founding of our nations.