NAWMP Updates

The 2018 Update of NAWMP recognized the key role of this educational foundation and explicitly identified the critical need to maintain and expand educational capacity to ensure existence of an appropriately skilled workforce to meet future conservation challenges.  Moreover, the 2018 Update of NAWMP encouraged engaging the public broadly to strengthen societal relevance and demonstrate the benefits.

Hallmarked by the recent 30th Anniversary celebration of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) community, alongside our fish and wildlife conservation partner organizations applaud the historic signing the bipartisan legislation known as The America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act) that will help to conserve America's natural resources.
 

The recommendation in the 2018 Update to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP or Plan) to “Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the Plan Committee (PC) and how it strategically structures itself and its functions…” provided direction to review and update the 2004 statement of Plan Committee roles, responsibilities and functions.

On behalf of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Committee (NAWMP PC), we are pleased to provide you with the Plan Committee’s Strategic Priorities and Actions Over the 2018 Update Period.

The North American Waterfowl Hunting Survey and the North American Birdwatching Survey were delivered to Canadian and American waterfowl hunters and birdwatchers. The surveys are initiatives to investigate stakeholder preferences to inform the development of NAWMP objectives and management actions. This research will help to provide the greatest benefits in terms of stakeholder preferences within the context of what is biologically feasible. Technical reports documenting survey results nationally and by Flyway are available at NAWMP.org site. Please contact Dr.

The NAWMP Plan Committee (PC) acknowledges receipt of the report on the “Review of the Plan Committee – Achieving NAWMP Objectives” that was submitted by the Institutions Subcommittee on January 15, 2018. The Plan Committee thanks the members of the sub-committee and all those individuals that provided input to the report for their time and commitment to ensuring the future of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

Public Views of Wetlands and Waterfowl Conservation in the United States—Results of a Survey to Inform the 2018 Update of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan

The Full Report of the Future of Waterfowl Workshop II was released March 8, 2018 and is available below.  All the FoW2 Workshop-related files are also available on the NAWMP site.  This report is a full reporting of all results obtained from the FoW2 Workshop..

For questions or comments regarding the FoW2 Workshop and Report, please contact the FoW2 Co-Chairs:  Bob Clark (bob.clark@canada.ca) and Paul Padding (paul_padding@fws.gov).

The 2012 NAWMP Revision Vision Statement provides a new vision of waterfowl management that emphasizes a growing and supportive core of waterfowl hunters and an engaged conservation community inspired by waterfowl and wetlands. The goal is to have a public supportive of waterfowl and wetlands conservation that have strong emotional and pragmatic ties to waterfowl and wetlands.

The 2012 NAWMP Revision Vision Statement provides a new vision of waterfowl management that emphasizes a growing and supportive core of waterfowl hunters and an engaged conservation community inspired by waterfowl and wetlands. The goal is to have a public supportive of waterfowl and wetlands conservation that have strong emotional and pragmatic ties to waterfowl and wetlands.

The Synthesis Report was released January 29, 2018 and is available below.  All the FoW2 Workshop-related files are also available on the NAWMP site.  This report is a synthesis of main results obtained from the breakout sessions only, and you should still expect to see a full report on the entire workshop in the near future.

Data was collected between Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Participation in the survey was limited to Canadian adults age 18 and over. Over 24,000 responses were received. 

The survey results improve our understanding of the importance of nature and biodiversity to Canadians by measuring their awareness of nature-related concepts and their participation and investments in a wide range of nature-based activities. 

Here are just a few highlights from the report:

A survey of waterfowl professionals (n=597) was conducted as an opportunity for the management community to provide general feedback on implementation of the 2012 NAWMP Revision. The survey provides an evaluation from 367 survey respondents (61%) about progress on the recommendations from the 2012 NAWMP Revision and priorities for the community’s work over the next 5-10 years.

As part of the assessment of the 2012 NAWMP Revision, a survey was sent to key waterfowl and wetland conservation organizations in North America (Flyways, Joint Ventures, Government, Non-government)—29 responses were received, identifying actions they’d undertaken to implement 7 recommendations from the 2012 NAWMP Revision (“Revision”). Ascertained, too, were stakeholders and outputs/outcomes of actions.

Results were compiled and shared with Update Steering Committee members as well as participants attending the Future of Waterfowl Workshop 2.

The Future of Waterfowl II Workshop, held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia on September 26 and 27, 2017, was a gathering of wildlife and land management professionals to help chart a path forward for waterfowl and wetland conservation in North America.

As a result of considerable effort put forth by the waterfowl management community over the last year, one of seven recommendations outlined in the 2012 NAWMP Revision has been formally completed. The attached addendum to the Plan Revision outlines revised objectives for waterfowl populations, waterfowl habitat, and those who enjoy and actively support waterfowl and wetlands conservation. Although much work remains, these objectives represent an important step toward ensuring that management programs are aligned and work in a complementary fashion.

Over the past several months, the Interim Integration Committee has accomplished the task set out last fall by the NAWMP Committee to oversee the review and development of contemporary and coherent objectives for waterfowl populations, people, and habitat. With input from the waterfowl management community that task has been advanced, and the revised "working objectives" follow in the attached document.

The 2012 Revision of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) was signed in late spring 2012, an Action Plan was approved by the NAWMP Committee in December 2012, and the Interim Integration Committee (IIC) developed a draft work plan which was sent to the waterfowl management community in July 2013. Since July, we have received considerable input to the IIC work plan and associated draft revisions to NAWMP objectives.

An Interim Integration Committee (IIC), prescribed in the Action Plan, has been charged with facilitating the integration of waterfowl management and advancing many of the specific recommendations identified in the Revision and Action Plan. You will have received a DRAFT WORK PLAN from the IIC in mid-July, and we discussed this at length last week at our Plan Committee meeting in Winnipeg.

In 1986 Canada, Mexico and the United States adopted The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP or Plan), launching a new era in wildlife conservation. The Plan has remained a leading model for other international conservation plans. In large measure, this is because it is a living and evolving document and is updated periodically with engagement of the broad waterfowl conservation community.

A NAWMP Input Session will be held from 8 AM-noon on September 15, following the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' annual meeting in Omaha. The purpose of the session is to provide information about, and discuss, institutional and technical elements being considered for the Revision and companion Action Plan. The writing team is hosting this opportunity to discuss emerging ideas on integrated management and other aspects of the Action Plan and the Revision. The session will take place at the Hilton Omaha. Registrations are not required.

Over 150 participants have provided input on fundamental goals for waterfowl management at stakeholder input workshops in Portland Oregon, Memphis Tennessee, Sacramento California, Edmonton Alberta, Ottawa Ontario, and Milwaukee Wisconsin. In addition, input received from flyway councils, individuals via the website, and other sources will be posted to the website in coming weeks The Revision Steering Committee and technical support team will meet April 20-22 to synthesize result and begin the next stage of the revision process.