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Act for Songbirds The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Saving Migratory Birds for Future Generations www.actforsongbirds.org |
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Benefits of Birds Birds add joy to the lives of many
Birds are pollinators
Birds act as pest control
Birds are frequently considered indicators of the health of our environment
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Birds and the Economy 46 million Americans contribute $32 billion
to the U.S. economy each year through
the sport of wildlife and bird watching |
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Birds are Important Birds play an important
role in maintaining the
ecosystems on which
humans depend to
maintain our quality
of life
Kathleen Lich: Alicia King |
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Birds and Agriculture Insect and rodent control
Plant pollination
Seed dispersal
There is value in sustaining
birds and their habitats!
Great- horned Owl: ClipArt.com Ruby-throated Hummingbird; Laura Graham |
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Migratory Birds Like many migratory birds,
this Cerulean Warbler travels
thousands of miles every year
from its breeding grounds to
its wintering grounds south of
the U.S. Border
Cerulean Warbler: Barth Schorre |
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Migratory Bird Trends Migratory bird populations
are declining due to human
hazards including loss or
degradation of:
habitat on breeding
and wintering grounds
Indigo Bunting: Barth Schorre |
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Threats to Birds Habitat loss/fragmentation
Collisions with Structures
Pesticides/contaminants
Climate Change
Introduced Predators (cats)
Human Activities (sprawl)
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Threats to Birds Estimated 2.5 billion birds killed inadvertently due to human activities in the U.S. every year
2 million acres of bird habitat
are lost to development in the U.S. each year
These pose grave risks across all regions and habitats
Habitat fragmentation: Mike Parr |
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Migratory birds are
particularly vulnerable
because they
depend on multiple
habitats and sites
Threats to Birds Townsend’s Warbler: Peter LaTourrette, www.birdphotography.com |
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Birds most at risk:
restricted ranges
limited ability to move
small populations
facing multiple conservation
challenges
Threats to Birds Marbled Godwit: Tom Grey |
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The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act NMBCA passed in 2000.
Designates funding in Latin
America, the Caribbean,
Canada, and the U.S. for:
habitat protection
education
research
monitoring birds
Wilson’s Warbler: Barth Schorre |
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The NMBCA grant
program was
established with
the goals of…
American White Pelicans: Eleanor Briccetti The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act |
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NMBCA Goals Perpetuating healthy populations
of Neotropical migratory birds
Supporting conservation initiatives in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean
Providing financial resources and
fostering international cooperation
Swainson’s Hawk: Peter LaTourrette,
www.birdphotography.com |
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NMBCA Goals The program provides a
competitive, matching
grants, and
requires a 3 to 1 match
So for every $1 received in
grant funds, the applicant
must raise an additional $3 in
partner funds
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Jim Scarff Painted Bunting; Barth Schorre |
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NMBCA Authorized Funding Initially authorized at $5 million per year
Its first appropriation
was $3 million Western Tanager: Dan Casey, ABC |
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NMBCA Authorized Funding Current authorization is $6 million per year -
2004 – 2007 appropriations were
$4 million
2008 appropriation is $4.5 million
Least Tern: Ralph Wright Bicknell’s Thrush: George Jett |
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NMBCA Funding More than $21 million
from NMBCA grants have
leveraged over $97 million in
matching contributions
Far exceeds the 3 to 1 match!
Snowy Plover: Tom Grey Black-capped Vireo: Bill Hubick |
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NMBCA Funding Land conservation projects have helped improve about three million acres of bird habitat Common Yellow Throat: Gary Smyle |
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NMBCA Submitted Requests Quality project proposal
requests far exceed
available funding
A significant funding
increase is needed
to support growing
conservation needs |
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NMBCA Funding At least 75% of NMBCA funding supports projects in Latin American countries (where there is almost no available funding for bird conservation)
Up to 25% may be used for
projects in the United States
100% goes to U.S. migratory birds!
Scarlet Tanager: Greg Lavaty |
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Grants have been awarded to conservation programs in 44 U.S. states, Canada 33 other countries in Latin America, and the Caribbean
NMBCA Awarded Grants |
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NMBCA Providing Effective Cooperation Nations, states, local
governments, and other
entities work together
cooperatively for the
protection of Neotropical
migratory birds in the
Western Hemisphere
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Gary Smyle |
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The Act has a proven
record of making a
difference for
Neotropical migratory
birds. For example… NMBCA A Successful Program Wood Thrush: ClipArt.com |
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Successful Projects Increasing Bird Conservation Capacity in the Bahamas Funded in 2006 at $18,300 and
matched by $67,100 for support
of Bahamians trained in natural
resources management and in
implementing conservation
programs
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy Kirtland’s Warbler: Huron Manistee National Forest |
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Funded in 2005 at $55,041 and
$165,124 matching funds to
restore public hayfields and
degraded grasslands on
outskirts of Chicago to benefit
grassland birds.
Create Two Bird Conservation Areas Grantee: Audubon-Chicago Region
Partner: Corporation for Open Lands Successful Projects Bobolink: Pennsylvania Game Commission |
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Monitoring Migratory Raptors as Key Indicators of Ecosystem Quality Funded in 2007 at $83,050 and $255,799 matching funds for online data-collection and large-scale analysis of raptor populations in multiple sites throughout the United States; Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec; State of Veracruz, Mexico.
Grantee: Hawk Migration Association of North America Partners: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and HawkWatch International Successful Projects Swainson’s Hawk: Greg Lavaty |
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Protecting Habitat for Oak-Dependent Species in Latin America Funded in 2007 at $156,600
and matched by $516,000 to
protect over 11,000 acres of
wintering habitat in Costa Rica,
El Salvador, and Mexico for
Endangered Golden-cheeked
Warbler and threatened
Golden-winged Warbler
Golden-cheeked Warbler: Al Perry Grantee: American Bird Conservancy Partners: Pronatura Chiapas, SalvaNatura, and Costa Rica’s National Institute of Biodiversity Successful Projects |
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Creating a Protected Area Network for Migratory Birds in Colombia Funded in 2003-2008 at
$598,954 and matched by
$3,197,088 to establish a
network of 38 monitoring
stations, 12 bird reserves (over
35,000 acres) and conduct
outreach education Partners; Fundación ProAves and American Bird Conservancy Cerulean Warbler: George Jett Successful Projects |
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NMBCA Report Success and Need The American Bird Conservancy
NMBCA Report details:
Trends in bird populations
Threats to birds
Successful Projects
MacGillivray’s Warbler: Ted Ardley |
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Support is needed to continue to grow the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grants program and increase its funding Western Tanager: Peter LaTourrette
www.birdphotography.com NMBCA A Successful Program |
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Act for Songbirds
Make sure Neotropical
migratory birds are
conserved for future
generations Kathleen Lich: Alicia King |
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Support House Bill H.R. 5756 and Senate Bill S. 3490 to reauthorize NMBCA
Increase to $10 million by 2010 & $20 million by 2015
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For more information
contact Alicia King at
aking@abcbirds.org
or 202-234-7181 Summer Tanager;:Barth Schorre |
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