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Florida

North American Waterfowl Management Plan


State Contact:
Frank Montalbano
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish
Commission
Division of Wildlife
620 South Meridian Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
Phone: 850/488 3831
Fax: 850/488 6988

Regional Contact:
Craig Watson
Atlantic Coast Joint Venture
USDA Forest Service
2730 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29414
Phone: 803/727 4271
Fax: 803/727 4152
E-mail: craig_watson@fws.gov


About the "Plan"
* International agreement (1986-

* Goal: return waterfowl
population to levels of mid-1970's.
* Achieve population and habitat
goals by r. liriiL, enhancing,
and protecting wetlands and
other habitats.
* Includes over 17 habitat joint
ventures and three species joint
ventures in the U.S. and Mexico.
Florida is in the Atlantic Coast
Joint Venture.
Partner Involvement
* Private landowners.
* Non-profit organizations.
* Corporations.
* Government agencies (local/state/
Federal).
Florida Projects
* Kissimmee Prairie Ecosystem.
* Scaup Research.
* Impoundments management.
* Indian River Lagoon.
Finance Assistance
* North American Wetlands
Conservation Act grants.
Public Benefits
* Increased recreational
opportunities.
* Improve water quality.
* Benefits to numerous wetlands
wildlife including fishery
resources.
* Voluntary habitat conservation.


Questions and Answers
What is the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan?
In 1985, waterfowl populations had
plummeted to record lows. Historical
data indicated that since the first
settlers arrived more than 50 percent
of the United States' original 220
million acres of wetland habitat that
waterfowl depend on for survival had
been destroyed. Across Canada,
where a large percentage of the
United States' wintering waterfowl
nest, wetland losses in various areas
were estimated at 29 to 71 percent
since settlement.
Waterfowl are a prominent and
economically important group of
migratory birds of the North
American continent. By 1985,
approximately 3.2 million people were
spending nearly $1 billion annually to
hunt waterfowl. By 1985, interest in
waterfowl had grown in other arenas
as well. About 18.6 million people
observed, photographed, and
otherwise appreciated waterfowl and
other waterbirds and spent $2 billion
for the pleasure of doing it.
Recognizing the importance of
waterfowl and wetlands to North
Americans and the need for
international cooperation to help in
the recovery of a shared resource, the
Canadian and United States
governments developed a strategy to
restore waterfowl populations to
levels seen in the 1970's through
habitat protection, restoration, and
enhancement. The strategy was
documented in the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan signed
in 1986 by the Canadian Minister of
the Environment and the United
States' Secretary of the Interior, the
foundation partnership upon which
hundreds of others would be built.