President Announces "Birds Forever" Initiative

The President's budget, announced Monday, includes $9 million for a new "Birds Forever" initiative. This initiative will work in partnership with states, local communities, and conservation organizations to reverse the precipitous decline in wild birds, whose populations have plummeted as much as 70% since 1967. A joint effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, the $9 million initiative would expand and improve the health of wild bird habitat, strengthen educational outreach programs, and improve scientific understanding of the dynamics of wild bird populations by focusing on 36 bird species in priority areas, including the Red Knot, Cerulean Warbler, Laysan Albatross, and Hawaiian honeycreepers. 

The Fish and Wildlife Service would receive an $8.0 million increase under the Initiative to support targeted planning and broad-scale activities to address threats to bird species. This includes a net increase of $3.8 million for monitoring and assessment of birds, $196,000 for conservation grant programs, and an additional $4.0 million for Migratory Bird Joint Ventures.  The U.S. Geological Survey would receive $1 million to improve monitoring, and to expand the Breeding Bird Survey into Mexico with the goal of improving conservation planning in the Southwest.  Overall, conservation programs for the Department of the Interior were reduced however, and it remains to be seen how this conservation initiative will be received by Congress. For more information see: http://www.doi.gov/initiatives/birdsforever.html and www.usgs.gov/ budget /2009/docs/ birds _ forever .doc .