Bird Conservation Strategies planning manual
Judith Kennedy, Elsie Krebs and Alaine Camfield For the Incidental Take Conservation (Bird Conservation Region [BCR] Plan) Subcommittee
Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada
9 July 2010 (revised 17 January 2012)
Table of contents
- A manual for completing Bird Conservation Strategies in Canada
- Introduction
- The minimum elements
- Element 1: Identify priority species within a BCR planning unit.
- Element 2: Identify habitat associations for priority species.
- Element 3: Develop quantitative population objectives for priority species.
- Element 4: Threats assessment and ranking: identifying conservation issues for priority species
- Element 5: Develop measurable conservation objectives for supporting priority species/groups.
- Element 6: Identify recommended actions
- References
A manual for completing Bird Conservation Strategies in Canada
Summary
The purpose of Bird Conservation Strategies is to summarize the important issues and to recommend the actions required to conserve populations of birds in Canada. This document outlines Environment and Climate Change Canada’s standards for the 6 minimum elements of integrated bird conservation strategies. The strategies incorporate national and international methodology developed by the four bird conservation initiatives that are part of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (shorebirds, waterbirds, waterfowl and landbirds). Where separate conservation plans already exist for any of the four bird groups, they may be used as a starting point for completing the required elements for all species. The strategies will integrate conservation recommendations across species groups. The current initiative will complete bird conservation strategies in 25 planning units (the 12 Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) found in Canada divided into political planning units).
Introduction
A shared responsibility for birds
The conservation and protection of birds is a shared responsibility in Canada; Migratory Birds fall under federal jurisdiction, whereas provincial and territorial governments are responsible for other species. The management of habitats upon which birds depend is also shared: the federal government is responsible for managing federal lands, marine and some aquatic habitats, while the provinces and territories are responsible for the management of most terrestrial habitats. Under comprehensive land claims and self government agreements, some Aboriginal peoples have management authority for habitat and may also have a degree of input or authority for federal or provincial bird management.
The need for an integrated framework for migratory bird conservation in Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada (EC) needs strategies that integrate and clearly articulate the conservation priorities for birds in Canada to support the implementation of the migratory birds program, both domestically and internationally. Previously, EC and its partners initiated conservation planning for four main bird groups (waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds and landbirds) in most regions of Canada, as well as at national and continental scales (see References); however, existing bird conservation plans do not cover all areas of Canada nor do they follow standard methods.
Shifting from group-specific (e.g., waterfowl, landbirds) to all-bird conservation planning is a philosophical shift supported by both the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) and the Habitat Joint Ventures initiated through the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). All-bird planning represents an iterative process to determine optimal habitat and population management actions to achieve desired population objectives. In the past, conservation initiatives tended to focus actions on a single species or bird group, an approach that does not explicitly integrate the needs for birds within habitats or guilds and does not consider how actions on the landscape impact non-targeted species. The strategies will integrate the actions outlined in recovery documents for birds that are also listed as Species at Risk. In order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its bird conservation planning, EC needs to be able to clearly articulate to planners, land managers and decision-makers what conservation actions are most critical from a bird perspective. The goal of integrated all-bird conservation is proactive management of all bird species to prevent species from becoming at risk.
The integrated strategies will be the result of an expert analysis of the available information on the more than 600 regularly occurring bird species in Canada. The end product will identify priority species, objectives and actions for the species of conservation importance and integrate recommended actions across groups of species that share common needs. This approach, to the extent possible, will move beyond individual species management and enable more efficient and effective approaches to migratory bird management while also addressing unique species’ needs when necessary.
The integrated approach to BCR planning defines consistent methods for preparing 6 minimum elements:
- identifying species of conservation importance (referred to as “priority species”)
- identifying habitats of importance associated with priority species
- setting measurable population objectives for priority species
- assessing and ranking important threats for priority species
- setting conservation objectives
- recommending conservation actions to address the conservation objectives, and
Details regarding the implementation of these actions will be addressed in separately developed implementation plans that will be prepared by, or in collaboration with, implementing partners.
Maximizing the efficiency of strategy development
Although Environment and Climate Change Canada is leading this current phase of planning, we recognize that input from conservation partners is essential. Environment and Climate Change Canada intends to use the NABCI Canada Council as one forum for discussing the planning process with partners and to build on the participatory and inclusive history of developing Bird Conservation Plans to ensure continued stakeholder support and engagement.
An ecoregional approach to bird planning
The Bird Conservation Regions used as the basis for our planning units (Figure 1) are based on the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s internationally-accepted Level III ecoregions. These ecoregions were identified on the basis of climate, human activity, vegetation, soils, geological and physiographic features, and the biodiversity associated with them. BCRs were originally identified based on terrestrial attributes. We have adopted Marine Biogeographic Units (Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat 2009) as the planning units for marine birds. This approach has been endorsed by the Canadian Wildlife Service Seabird Technical Committee. These ecoregions were identified on the basis of a suite of physical and biological properties including features relevant to marine birds such as primary productivity, species distributions, population structure and assemblages/communities. By selecting these units, we support a consistent Government of Canada approach to marine conservation planning.

Long description for Figure 1
Map of Canadian Bird Conservation, it based on the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s internationally-accepted Level III ecoregions. These ecoregions were identified on the basis of climate, human activity, vegetation, soils, geological and physiographic features, and the biodiversity associated with them. BCRs were originally identified based on terrestrial attributes.
Because many of Canada’s BCRs are large and extend across broad areas covering several provinces and/or territories, several strategies will be written for portions of BCRs that reflect separate political jurisdictions. For example, BCR 8, the Boreal Softwood Shield, will be subdivided and included in strategies representing the planning units of the Prairie Provinces, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland & Labrador. Dividing BCRs into planning units reflects both political differences in land use and resource management among jurisdictions and possible ecological variation in species’ habitat requirements across a BCR.
Anticipated audience
The audience for the integrated bird conservation strategies is both internal and external to EC and includes: Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service and Wildlife and Landscape Science staff, Environmental Assessment practitioners, Provincial and Territorial governments, Aboriginal Peoples, environmental non-government organizations, resource and land managers, land owners and the general public.
The minimum elements
The elements discussed below have three main functions:
- to provide a consistent national approach to planning for bird conservation in Canada
- to streamline the planning process
- to provide sufficient guidance to allow the development of detailed implementation plans and to support on-the-ground conservation efforts.
These elements comprise the technical information that will be the basis for future public synthesis documents that focus on issues and actions.
The elements are presented in roughly sequential order, assuming all data are available in an individual planning unit. Where insufficient data prevents the completion of any of the elements, recommendations on how to address that lack of information are usually included (often as research or monitoring recommendations).
Element 1: Identify priority species within a BCR planning unit.
- Purpose: to focus management attention and limited resources on those species with objectively-identified conservation importance, ecological significance or management need.
Key points about priority species:
- they are derived from standard assessment protocols developed by the four major bird conservation initiatives.
- Some flexibility in approach was needed during the planning exercise as some conservation strategies are new, and some integrate existing plans.
- each strategy documents how the species assessment processes were applied, particularly any deviations from the standards.
- they include both species of immediate conservation concern and those requiring longer-term stewardship.
- they are reviewed by technical experts in each planning unit.
The following are the standard steps to establish a priority species list.
Step 1. Identify species regularly occurring within the planning unit
The list of bird species in the planning unit includes all regularly occurring birds during any season of the year (i.e., breeding and resident birds, as well as migrants). All data sources are referenced and the criteria used to define ‘regularly occurring’ are included in individual strategies for each BCR.
Step 2. Species Assessment
Where existing conservation plans were available at the appropriate scale and were still current, a new species assessment may not have been undertaken:
- The species assessment process applies quantitative rule sets to biological data for factors such as:
- population size,
- breeding and non-breeding distribution,
- population trend,
- breeding and non-breeding threats, and
- regional density and abundance
- The assessment was applied to individual bird species and ranks each species in terms of its biological vulnerability and population status. The assessments can be used to assign sub-regional (i.e., provincial section of a BCR), regional (BCR) and continental conservation priorities among birds.
- Methods for the species assessment vary slightly among the four bird conservation initiatives (i.e., landbirds, shorebirds, waterbirds and waterfowl) in Canada.
- Planners provided clear documentation of all methods applied during species assessment so that appropriate comparisons can be made across regions and future updates correctly interpret any changes in status.
- Whenever possible, the methodology used to identify priority species is consistent with that developed by each of the bird groups. In cases where methods for stepping down the species assessment to the appropriate planning level have not been defined by a bird group authority, the method chosen was documented and its rationale explained.
- Because of the long history of management for waterfowl, priority waterfowl species at the continental and BCR level are those identified in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Implementation Framework (2004) for Waterfowl Conservation Regions, and sub-BCR priorities were adapted from them (with documentation of the process).
- Gaps in monitoring will be identified through this process when there are inadequate data to complete species assessment. These monitoring needs are identified among the conservation objectives (Element 5: Develop measurable conservation objectives for supporting priority species/groups) and /or recommended actions (Element 6: Identify recommended actions (and indicate relative priority) of the BCR strategy.
Step 3. Integrate the list of BCR Priority Species
- All species identified as “priority species” by the varying assessment methods undertaken in Step 2, are compiled into a single list for the BCR planning unit.
- Priority species include:
- Species that are vulnerable in most of the 5 factors assessed above
- Some widely distributed and abundant “stewardship” species; these species typify much of Canada’s avifauna, and represent an important component of ecosystem function but may not require specific conservation effort
- Priority waterfowl species that are at their desired population objectives but that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species.
- Priority species include:
Step 4. Add additional species of management concern
- Add to the Priority list any species listed by Species at Risk Act (SARA) or assessed by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as at least Special Concern, and any provincially/territorially listed species not already identified in step 2
- Add other species of identified concern in the BCR planning unit, such as those considered “sensitive” or more vulnerable by the General Status Ranking process when warranted (e.g., those species contribute new conservation issues to the strategy)
- Overabundant species may be included but are presented in a separate table from priority species as they are identified for purposes of population control.
Step 5. Technical review of priority species list
- Compile the priority species list into table format to indicate the reason(s) a species was included on the list.
- Include clear documentation of methodology with the table. Define any non-standard terms
Element 2: Identify habitat associations for priority species.
- Purpose: To identify key habitat attributes for all priority species and to group species with similar broad habitat requirements that also might share common conservation issues.
Key points about habitat classes:
- they are coarse filter classes of importance to priority species during breeding, wintering, staging or migration
- only habitat classes within the planning unit are considered
- species can be assigned up to three broad habitat classes each; species that use more than three habitat types can be listed as generalists
- when possible, primary, secondary and tertiary habitats should be ranked
- they are based on the United Nations (UN)’s Land Cover Classification System at a broad spatial scale
- they can link with provincial land classification schemes at the finer spatial scale to integrate with existing land management practices
- important bird features (e.g., snags, cliffs, etc.) can be identified to guide management actions
Identifying the broad habitat requirements for each priority species in the breeding and non-breeding season provides one way of grouping species with shared habitat-based conservation issues or actions. If many priority species are associated with the same habitat class there may be an underlying habitat condition within the planning unit that needs to be addressed.
In order to link with other national and international land classification schemes, habitat classes for all priority species are based, at the broadest level, on the hierarchical approach of the international Land Cover Classification System developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). To retain the link to regional spatial data (e.g., provincial forest inventories, etc.) finer scale habitat classes may be identified, and, in fact, may be necessary to detect underlying conservation issues. The use of standardized broad habitat classes will allow future reassessments of the status of bird species to be linked to North American assessments of land use and habitat change (e.g., the CEC Environmental Atlas).
Additional habitat features that are not captured in habitat classes might also be important indicators of suitable habitat for a species, and could include nesting attributes (e.g., snags, cliffs) or habitat modifiers (e.g., burns, seral stage, riparian vegetation, structural complexity). Where known, key habitats in the BCR planning unit used by wintering, staging or migrating priority species are also indicated (especially if migration and/or wintering habitat is identified as an issue during the threats assessment or as a conservation objective). In addition, the surrounding landscape context of bird habitat is often important and was addressed as much as possible.
Element 3: Develop quantitative population objectives for priority species
- Purpose: This element states our population objectives for priority species and provides a measurable way to assess progress towards those goals at a regional scale.
Key points about population objectives:
- they are long-term (e.g., 30-year) goals; efforts to achieve these objectives will also occur over many years
- they are set relative to baselines established by the four bird initiatives
- they are often presented using broad categories, but progress towards them is measured using the best available data for the species
- they may be set for priority species in stopover or staging areas if sufficient data exist
- they refer to objectives in recovery documents where they exist for federally, provincially or territorially listed species
- they will only be achieved if the underlying conservation issues affecting populations are addressed
A central component of effective conservation planning is setting clear objectives that can be measured and evaluated. Bird Conservation Strategies set objectives based upon the conservation philosophies of national and continental bird initiativesFootnote1, including NABCI, that support the distribution, diversity and abundance of birds throughout their historical ranges.
Achieving population objectives will be the ultimate measure of conservation success. Population objectives represent population levels at a time prior to recent declines. They do not factor in feasibility of achievement, but are held as a standard against which to measure progress. Progress towards population objectives will be regularly assessed using updated monitoring data.
Step 1. Identify baseline
In developing population objectives, the major bird conservation initiatives chose a measurable baseline, or benchmark, for the species under consideration. These baselines are key assumptions in the conservation process. To fulfill NABCI’s goal of protecting, restoring and enhancing North America's bird populations, we must maintain bird populations at levels that represent natural abundances and distributions across the continent. The baseline populations acceptably approximate that state by reflecting population levels prior to widespread declines. By setting a baseline we can manage towards the landscape composition at an identified period in time and avoid major conflicts between habitat requirements for different priority species. This philosophical approach is supported by the federal, provincial and territorial governments as well as many non-government organizations and industries in Canada.
Example: Baselines
Landbirds: The baseline is considered to be the late 1960s, when the Breeding Bird Survey began and major urban development had already occurred in most of the country.
Waterfowl: Continental baselines represent an average of 1970s population levels as they reflect a period of “good to fair” habitat conditions on the prairies and the start of systematic breeding ground inventories.
Conservation Plans for each of the four bird groups in Canada (i.e., waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds and landbirds) identify baseline population levels as those existing during the late 1960s and 1970s. This time period was chosen because:
- it represents a period when significant losses of habitat due to human development had already occurred (i.e., we are not attempting to return to “pristine” historical conditions).
- we are able to define measurable baseline populations because systematic bird surveys were established in Canada during that period (e.g., waterfowl surveys, breeding bird surveys, etc.).
Step 2. Assess population trend for priority species and assign population objective
Population objectives for all bird groups are based on a quantitative or qualitative assessment of species population trends. For waterfowl, additional consideration is given to the need to manage populations to meet harvest objectives. To maintain consistency among Bird Conservation Strategies across Canada, population objectives for landbirds, waterbirds and shorebirds are set using the trend-based categories. If the population trend is unknown, the objective is set as “maintain and assess population status”.
Step 3. Link population objective to a population measure
In order to evaluate progress towards a population objective, a population measure is a helpful tool. This measure can take the form of a specified population size, an abundance index (e.g., Breeding Bird Survey [BBS]), or a desired distribution (e.g., number of Atlas squares, density in a habitat, number and size of colonies). An indication of the accuracy of the measure may be given to define how accurately it represents the population objective.
Step 4. Population objectives for Species at Risk
For any species listed under SARA, Bird Conservation Strategies defer to population objectives in Recovery Strategies and Management Plans. If recovery documents are pending (but not yet available) for a species, interim objectives may be set based on the population trend score. If interim objectives are set, the strategy includes a clear statement to indicate that we will adopt recovery objectives when they are available. If recovery objectives are not set (e.g., for some species listed at the Special Concern level), population objectives are set as for other priority species. Similar guidelines apply to species listed under provincial and territorial endangered species legislation.
Step 5. Document methodology
The rationale for any alterations to the methodology outlined in this manual are clearly described and documented.
Element 4: Threats assessment and ranking: identifying conservation issues for priority species
- Purpose: This element elaborates on the issues affecting priority species in an effort to identify the factors that influence population growth. Assessing the magnitude and categorizing the types of threats will help prioritize and guide our actions in order to meet population objectives. In addition, the threats assessment will help identify groups of priority species impacted by similar issues. This assessment combined with the species-habitat associations identified in element 2 will guide the identification of conservation objectives (Element 5: Develop measurable conservation objectives for supporting priority species/groups) and recommended actions (Element 6: Identify recommended actions) that will achieve population objectives.
Key points about assessing threats
- Threats are usually specific factors that are known to negatively impact population processes (e.g., breeding success or survival)
- they can be categorized and ranked using IUCN threats assessment protocols
- they are assessed based on data, published literature and/or expert opinion
- their impact is assessed within the BCR as well as outside of the BCR to identify where conservation action is required
- their magnitude is assessed according to the scope and severity within/outside a BCR
- at a minimum, this step should assess whether breeding and/or wintering habitat potentially limits populations of a priority species
Bird populations can be affected by factors that negatively impact either their reproduction or survival during their annual cycle. We refer to these factors as threats. Threats can reduce survival (e.g., specific sources of mortality such as collisions, food availability or toxic compounds), reduce reproductive success (e.g., predation, brood parasites, toxic compounds, habitat availability on breeding, migration, or non-breeding grounds), or have other effects. Natural processes that prevent populations from expanding beyond a given level are referred to as limiting factors; we include these in the threats assessment when they have been influenced by human activity.
Although it is relatively straightforward to identify a range of potential threats for a species, it is much more complex to understand how threats individually, or collectively, impact a population. For example, survival may be reduced by the combined effects of habitat loss, habitat degradation, toxic compounds, and invasive predators. When multiple threats exist, we need a process to rank them in order to prioritize management actions for individual priority species and important habitats.
The threats assessment exercise includes three main steps:
- Itemizing past, current and future threats for each priority species using a standardized classification.
- Ranking the magnitude of threats for priority species using a standardized protocol.
- Preparing a set of threat profiles for the BCR planning unit, for broad habitat categories, and for individual or guilds of priority species.
This element should allow a simple assessment of the level of cumulative impacts to habitats and species across the BCR planning unit. Although a proper assessment of the cumulative effects of all activities within the BCR will require detailed cumulative impacts modelling, this exercise can start to identify initial recommendations for changes to land-use planning and/or management.
Step 1. Assessing threats
Threats that might limit demographic rates of priority species are categorized using the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) approach. Threats affecting priority species can be identified using published data and literature, reference materials such as the Birds of North America, as well as local expert opinion. Threats for all species that are COSEWIC assessed as Endangered or Threatened or that are listed by federal, provincial or territorial species at risk legislation were obtained from recovery strategies or appropriate reports. Additional threat categories may be added to reflect unique regional threats (e.g., Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak), but must be clearly documented.
If specific threats impacting a priority species are unknown, this is noted and the conservation objectives reflect the need for research into the underlying causes of population decline for the species in question.
Step 2. Ranking threats
Ranking the identified threats for priority species is useful in assessing the overall importance of each threat for individual species or habitat types within a BCR planning unit and helps guide conservation actions. A scoring approach to ranking threats is helpful to:
- Assess whether habitat quantity or quality on the breeding or wintering ground appears to limit the population of a priority species.
- Assess the scope and severity of identified threats (scope and severity combined describe the threat’s magnitude).
- Scope refers to the proportion of the species’ range within the planning unit that is impacted by the threat.
- Severity refers to the relative impact the threat poses on the viability of priority species populations.
- Assess other relevant variables related to the timing, likelihood and reversibility of threats.
- Note that initial work has found that these other variables are either difficult to reliably quantify, or do not vary among threats. But, with sufficient information, a broader ranking scheme is possible.
Step 3. Determining threat profiles for priority species
Combining threat rankings
The threat scores for a priority species can be combined in different ways for different purposes. At a minimum, threat scores were used to evaluate the overall level of threat for major habitat groupings, but may also be used to assess the key threats for a suite of priority species, (e.g., aerial insectivores) or the relative importance of individual threats across the BCR planning unit (Salafsky et al. 2003).
Element 5: Develop measurable conservation objectives for supporting priority species/groups.
- Purpose: These are the desired conditions within a planning unit that collectively support movement towards achieving population objectives over the next 30-40-year period, and the information needs to improve our understanding of population status and threats within the planning unit.
Key points about conservation objectives:
- they respond to the priority threats and information gaps identified in the BCR planning unit by the preceding elements
- some over-arching issues that have very low impacts on multiple species and/or habitats are also addressed through conservation objectives
- they can be presented for individual species or for suites of species that have habitat, threats, or management issues in common
- they do not yet factor in feasibility of implementation or economic impacts
- they describe the environmental conditions and research and monitoring that are thought to be necessary for progress towards population objectives and to understand underlying conservation issues for priority bird species
- they provide a framework for undertaking adaptive management by testing whether conservation actions are achieving the desired results
- they generally fall within three broad categories:
- habitat objectives within the planning unit,
- non-habitat objectives within the planning unit, and
- objectives outside the planning unit (often outside Canada).
The objectives in BCR strategies respond to the priority threats identified in the strategy; the list of objectives may not be comprehensive and it is very likely that additional objectives could be identified. Although conservation objectives are somewhat general in nature, we believe action to achieve them will address current, and sometimes future, conservation issues affecting bird populations. Where possible, conservation objectives are measurable, and at least indicate the direction of the desired change, in order to allow evaluation of progress resulting from implementation. Ultimately however, the key metric of success is a positive change in the abundance of priority species in the planning unit. Once conservation objectives have been achieved, it is critical to determine whether they resulted in a positive response in populations of priority species. Such an evaluation is part of the active adaptive management process which is an underlying principle of this conservation effort.
Step 1. Integrate threats across species
Although many previous plans identified conservation actions for individual priority species, these bird conservation strategies integrate conservation requirements across priority species when possible. Because habitat loss is the greatest threat affecting bird populations, threats will generally be integrated within a broad habitat class (Element 2). Using the results of Element 4, species with similar threats within a habitat class can be grouped. To be useful in specifying conservation objectives and actions, threat descriptions need to be more specific than the general International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) threat categories. Note that similar threats might arise in different threat categories. For example, loss of a particular habitat type or important bird feature might occur through activities categorized under 1.0 Residential and Commercial Development, 2.0 Agriculture and Aquaculture, 5.0 Biological Resource Use and 7.0 Natural System Modifications - integrating these similar threats will streamline the work in the next step.
Information gaps are also be highlighted here as specific research and monitoring needs, but information objectives may not be measurable to a significant degree.
Step 2. Set measurable conservation objectives
Whenever possible, conservation objectives will benefit multiple species, and/or respond to more than one threat category (as explained above). Where necessary, objectives can focus on the specific requirements of a single species when they are critical for supporting population objectives.
Conservation objectives will fall into one of three broad categories:
- habitat objectives within the BCR planning unit (the quantity, quality and configuration of priority habitats),
- non-habitat objectives within the BCR planning unit (mortality sources, negative impacts on reproductive success, policy changes, stewardship needs, outreach, etc.), and
- habitat or non-habitat objectives outside the BCR planning unit (to capture issues during migration and non-breeding seasons).
The last category recognizes that priority species may be affected by important threats outside of Canada (e.g., land use practices or toxic substances on the wintering grounds), as well as those that occur within a BCR planning unit. Objectives outside the BCR will usually be presented in a separate table or section of the strategy.
Measurable objectives are helpful for tracking progress and evaluating the effectiveness of implementation. Often measures are categorical (decrease, maintain increase), but wherever possible, measures could include:
- Desired proportion of landscape covered by a particular habitat type in the planning unit
- Quantity of habitat type or feature in the planning unit
- Size, configuration and/or landscape context of habitat or feature
- Timeline for achieving policy change, eradicating predators or establishing a partnership
- Number or proportion of land managers to adopt recommended practice
In combination, the conservation objectives for a BCR planning unit attempt to describe the environmental conditions, policies, research and monitoring required to support priority bird species throughout their life cycles. Implementation of actions that support the conservation objectives will need to consider their feasibility, and will require a diverse array of partners both within the planning unit and in other jurisdictions.
Element 6: Identify recommended actions
Purpose: This section identifies specific actions that need to be taken to achieve the conservation objectives listed in Element 5: Develop measurable conservation objectives.
Key points about recommended actions:
- they are the strategies required to achieve conservation objectives
- they align with specific actions in species at risk recovery documents at the federal, provincial or territorial levels
- they can be grouped into categories that reflect broad habitats, the type of implementing partner required, broad action category, or any other aid to potential implementers
Recommended actions are usually made at the strategic level rather than being highly detailed and prescriptive. When possible, more detailed recommendations can be included, for example if best management practices, ecosystem plans or multiple recovery documents are available for a planning unit. Otherwise, it is difficult to be too prescriptive without the benefit of feasibility studies. Actions strive to be detailed enough to provide starting guidance to potential implementing partners.
The objectives for issues occurring outside of Canada, and those for research, monitoring and over-arching issues, do not have actions associated with them. These issues are often so broad that it is difficult to present specific actions prior to discussions with international partners, the subject-matter experts, and/or implementation teams.
Recommended actions defer to or support those provided in recovery documents for species at risk at the federal, provincial or territorial level, but are usually more general than those developed for individual species.
References
Donaldson, G.M., C. Hyslop, R.I.G. Morrison, H.L. Dickson, and I. Davidson (editors). 2000. Canadian Shorebird Conservation Plan. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. P. 27. http://www.cws-cf.ec.gc.ca/publications/AbstractTemplate.cfm?lang=e&id=318
Food and Agriculture Organization of United Organization (FAO). 2000. Land Cover Classification System (LCCS): Classification Concepts and User Manual. Food and Agriculture Organization.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2009. Development of a Framework and Principles for the Biogeographic Classification of Canadian Marine Areas. Science Advisory Report 2009/056. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, National Capital Region, November 2009.
Milko, R., L. Dickson, R. Elliot, G. Donaldson. 2003. Wings Over Water:
Canada’s Waterbird Conservation Plan. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Pp. 25-28. http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/publications/wow/Wings-EN-2003.pdf
North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Plan Committee. 2004. North American Waterfowl Management Plan 2004. Implementation Framework: Strengthening the Biological Foundation (PDF, 1.42 MB). Canadian Wildlife Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, 106 pp.
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