1	NORTHERN BOBWHITE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
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3	STATUS OF THE NORTHERN BOBWHITE U.S. BREEDING POPULATION 1980: 19,619,000 BIRDS 1999: 6,714,000 BIRDS DECLINE OF 65.8% ANNUAL RATE OF DECLINE: 3.8% 1982-99
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5	CONTRIBUTORS COORDINATORS: RALPH DIMMICK, MARK GUDLIN, DON MCKENZIE NRI LAND-USE DATA: STEVE BRADY, USDA-NRCS BREEDING BIRD SURVEY DATA: JOHN SAUER, USGS CHAPTER AUTHORS/CONTRIBUTORS: 39 BIOLOGISTS FROM 22 STATE AGENCIES 14 BIOLOGISTS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES, UNIVERSITIES, AND NGOs 4 QUAIL UNLIMITED BIOLOGISTS
6	North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI)
7	Map of NBCI BCRs in No.AM/U.S.:
8	DATA SOURCES BOBWHITE POPULATION BREEDING BIRD SURVEY – 1982-1999 HARVEST STATS,1980 TO 1999 -- FROM 22 STATE WILDLIFE AGENCIES HABITAT/LAND USE NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY -- 1982 & 1997
9	GOAL RESTORE NORTHERN BOBWHITE POPULATIONS TO 1980 DENSITIES ON REMAINING IMPROVABLE HABITATS. STABILIZE POPULATIONS IN 5-10 YEARS ACHIEVE GOAL IN 20-25 YEARS
10	ASSUMPTIONS: HABITAT MAJOR LIMITING FACTOR: INSUFFICIENT NESTING AND BROOD-REARING HABITAT OVER MOST OF THE BOBWHITE’S RANGE NESTING AND BROOD-REARING HABITAT: PROPERLY MANAGED DIVERSE STANDS OF NATIVE, WARM-SEASON GRASSES AND FORBS ARE GOOD TO EXCELLENT
11	ASSUMPTIONS: HABITAT NWSG SHOULD PRODUCE 1 COVEY OF BOBWHITES PER 4 ACRES IN CROPLAND, PASTURE OR RANGE PINE FORESTS--WHEN MANAGED WITH BOBWHITE-FRIENDLY PRACTICES--CAN ADD 1 TO 7 OR MORE COVEYS PER 1,000 ACRES ASSUMPTIONS VARIED AMONG BCRs
12	ASSUMPTIONS: PRODUCTION MEAN CLUTCH SIZE = 12 EGGS MEAN COVEY SIZE = 12 BOBWHITES NEST SUCCESS RATE = 25% NEST DENSITY = 1 NEST / ACRE OF GOOD HABITAT SUCCESSFUL NESTS = 1 NEST / 4 ACRES OF GOOD HABITAT
13	ASSUMPTIONS: MORTALITY LEGAL BOBWHITE HARVEST REMOVES 1/3 OF AUTUMN POPULATION ALL OTHER MORTALITY FACTORS REMOVE 1/3 BREEDING POPULATION WILL BE 1/3 OF PRECEDING AUTUMN POPULATION
14	15 BCR PLANNING UNITS BY BCR: POPULATION CHANGE -- QUANTIFY BASED ON HARVEST STATISTICS NEW COVEYS NEEDED -- ESTIMATE AND ALLOCATE TO REACH GOAL “IMPROVABLE ACRES” -- IDENTIFY BY LAND-USE TYPE IN 1999 HABITAT OBJECTIVES -- SET FOR: EACH BCR EACH STATE’S PORTION OF THE BCR
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17	THREE HABITAT CHAPTERS DESCRIBES RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CROPLANDS GRASSLANDS (HAY, PASTURE, RANGE, CRP) PINE AND PINE/HARDWOOD FORESTS (INCLUDING CRP)
18	THE BIG PICTURE GOAL: ADD 2,770,000 COVEYS TO THE 1999 AUTUMN POPULATION OBJECTIVES: IMPROVE HABITAT ON 81,100,000 ACRES 78% OF COVEYS FROM 18.7 M ACRES FARMLAND 7% FROM 53.5 M ACRES FOREST 15% FROM ON 8.9 M ACRES RANGE
19	ENCOURAGING FINDINGS PRIMARY LAND USE WOULD BE ALTERED ON 6.2% OF THE 81.1 M AC CONVERSION OF EXISTING CRP TAME GRASS TO NWSG WOULD PRODUCE 21% OF ALL COVEYS NEEDED MANY PRACTICES CAN BENEFIT PRODUCERS’ INCOME FOREST PRACTICES FOR BOBWHITES ARE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE
20	KEY PLAYERS LANDOWNERS STATE WILDLIFE AGENCIES QUAIL UNLIMITED PARTNERS IN FLIGHT – SONGBIRD INITIATIVE FARM SERVICE AGENCY CRP – CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM PASTURE RECOVERY PROGRAM NRCS BUFFER INITIATIVE – INCL. CONTINUOUS CRP WHIP – WILDLIFE HABITAT INCENTIVES PROG. CPGL – CONSERVATION PRIVATE GRAZING LAND
21	KEY PLAYERS FOREST SERVICE FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM STEWARDSHIP INCENTIVES PROGRAM NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS U.S. FWS LANDOWNER INCENTIVE PROGRAM PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM TITLE VIII OF “CARA-LITE” PRIVATE, PUBLIC FOUNDATIONS
22	HOW WILL THIS PLAN BE USED? ESTABLISH BOBWHITE RECOVERY AS A NATIONAL ISSUE MOBILIZE BOBWHITE ADVOCATES TO EFFECTIVE, LARGE-SCALE ACTION ENCOURAGE COORDINATED ACTION AMONG STATE WILDLIFE AGENCIES INTEGRATE BOBWHITES INTO ALL-BIRD JOINT VENTURES HELP STATES DEVELOP “STEP-DOWN” PLANS - WEST TN FARM GAME CONSERVATION PLAN
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