NBCI 2012 Annual Report

To the

NBTC Steering Committee and NBCI Management Board

Donald F. McKenzie, Director, February 11, 2013

Scale is the core of the bobwhite problem, and the fundamental challenge. Wildlife agencies and managers excel at managing grassland bird habitat at the field and project level. However, the wildlife management profession struggles to cope with landscape-scale habitat challenges, especially for resident game birds. National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI)
deploys an innovative pyramid strategy to tackle a bobwhite challenge that has defied conventional tactics for more than a half-century. This long-term strategy developed in consultation with the National Bobwhite Technical Committee (NBTC) aims to magnify the scale of ground-level habitat restoration by emphasizing concurrent, coordinated action by all quail and grassland bird conservationists at national, regional, state, and local levels. The NBCIs role is range-wide leadership, coordination and capacity with ambitious goals to (1) stop the habitat bleeding, and (2) begin achieving landscape-scale net gain of native grassland habitats.

No single agency or group can restore enough habitat to make the needed difference. Only by
synergistic cooperation and action among all levels can conservationists forge meaningful progress. There are no guarantees except that the traditional laissez faire, small-scale approach will not work. Hope lies with the NBCI 2.0 plan, universal buy-in and increased attention by all states and partners, a fully capable NBCI operational center, and synergistic implementation.

I.

NBCI Coordination and Leadership

Five major new quail initiatives The NBCI strives to stimulate excitement and urgency about restoration of bobwhites and grassland birds, resulting in increasing number and intensity of initiatives to address the problem. In 2012, at least five (5) new/upgraded major quail initiatives were launched in collaboration with the NBCI, in 4 states and one federal recreation area: o Georgia Wildlife Resources Division 22 focal areas, totaling 2.15 million acres; o Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism two focus areas totaling 310,000 acres; objective to create minimum of 15,500 total acres of new habitat, > 5% of the focal landscapes; o Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 3 focus areas; objective is 30,000 acres in each of new habitat; o Pennsylvania Game Commission its first comprehensive bobwhite restoration plan in history; o Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area three separate 15,000+ acre sites identified and in progress by the USDA Forest Service.
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NBCI 10th anniversary ceremony The NBTC hosted a well-attended reception at the September 2012 AFWA conference in Hilton Head, SC, marking 10 years of leadership and progress for collaborative bobwhite conservation. States support NBCI 24 of 25 states contributed in support of NBCI coordination in FY 2012. NBCI capacity maintained grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (3rd year approved) and the Multistate Conservation Grant program (2nd year of 3-year grant) enabled the NBCI to provide national capacity beginning in 2010. The NBCI is able to accelerate national progress on myriad priorities. o Tom Dailey, NBCI Asst. Director / Science Coordinator (NFWF funding); o Bridget Collins, NBCI FSA Liaison / Ag Policy Coordinator (MSCG funding) Bridget left NBCI in September 2012, for the AFWA Ag Conservation position; o Kyle Brazil joined the NBCI team January 21, 2013 to replace Bridget; He is temporarily stationed at AFWA headquarters; Anticipate reconnecting with the USDA Farm Service Agency in 3 months. o John Doty, NBCI Communications Director (NFWF funding); o Mike Black, NBCI Forestry Coordinator (NFWF funding). Bobwhite Foundation operational the University of Tennessee (UT) Foundation has established a non-profit fund called the Bobwhite Foundation (BF), dedicated to supporting implementation of NBCI goals. The BF now is operational. o 1st major gift committed, to be announced in March 2013. o Advertisement for BF placed in February 2013 issue of Covey Rise Magazine, along with feature story about NBCI and BF. o BF logo developed by NBCI and UT staff. o New Bobwhite Foundation website created by UT and NBCI staff, www.bobwhitefoundation.org . o Informational and recruitment brochure completed. o Visits with prospective donors, coordinated with state agency directors. National Wild Turkey Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NBCI in September 2012, pledging collaboration on at least 8 habitat projects per year that benefit bobwhites and wild turkeys. Year 4 grant submitted for NFWF, Southeast Grassland Bird Keystone Initiative, aspiring to at least maintain national capacity, and possibly add a new grassland coordinator position.

II.

A Growing Social Movement for Bobwhites

NBCIs Bobwhite Almanac, State of the Bobwhite 2012 is a highly lauded assessment of the range-wide state of bobwhite conservation in 2012, containing a wealth of new information. A 2nd printing of the report has been completed to fill orders from several states.
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Communications capability of the NBCI has been magnified through developing relationships: o Southeast Outdoor Press Association NBCI staff and 3 state quail coordinators (VA, NC, KY) presented NBCI seminar in Johnson City, TN; Sept. 2012; o Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers NBCI seminar in Branson, MO; Sept. 2012; o Professional Outdoor Media Association NBCI staff on agenda for 2013 meeting; o Association of Conservation Information NBCI working with state wildlife agencies own communications people, to begin promoting NBCI from the inside out; o New arrangements with the Outdoor Hub and the Outdoor Wire reach hundreds of thousands subscribers; o Outdoor/hunting shows and conventionsusing the NBCI exhibit as a backdrop, NBCI staff and partners have met directly with thousands of hunters and landowners at the: PF/QF National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic (Kansas City, MO; February 2012), Dallas Safari Club Convention (Dallas, TX; January 2012, 2013), and NWTF Annual Convention & Sport Show (Nashville, TN; February 2013). Mass media exposure: o Mark Trail comic strip (Oct. 7, 2012) reached millions with a message about the NBCI and the quail/grassland bird decline (719,000 readers through the Washington Post, alone); o An NBCI feature in the 2013 Harris' Farmers Almanac is reaching millions through the year; o Associated Press/Science & Technology News story on NBCI; November 2012; o Numerous NBCI articles in Upland Almanac, Shooting Sportsman, Covey Rise, Southeast Farm Press, Charlotte Observer, Field and Stream, South Carolina Wildlife, Knoxville Daily Sun, etc. Bobwhite Central www.bringbackbobwhites.org The two-year-old NBCI website already is providing a central platform to support and increase the visibility and activity of range-wide quail conservation. The website had to be completely rebuilt from scratch in 2012, after being hacked and rendered unusable. Some details about the NBCI website: o The NBCI website gets 3,400 page views and 1,300 unique visits each month; More than 60% of those are new visits. Some 15,000 new people visited the NBCI website in 2012. The complete NBCI 2.0 has been downloaded 3,974 times. The Executive Summary of the NBCI 2.0 has been downloaded 1,834 times. The state quail coordinator contact list has been downloaded 1,210 times. o Dedicated pages on the NBCI website are available to all states and partners, such as for: state quail management plans, reports and technical studies; blogs available to all states and partners; bobwhite success stories, news updates, highlights, photo and video galleries; National Quail Projects map.

NBCI Facebook page This new arrow in the quiver is designed to further fan audience enthusiasm and action, and expand the base of support for bobwhite conservation. NBCI store front Capitalizing on UTs existing electronic storefront operation, NBCI initiated sales of NBCI items such as caps, decals, lapel pins, Quail Symposium Series proceedings.
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Bobwhite reporting NBCI Communications Director John Doty provides media services to states and partners, for written or video projects and success stories. Examples include the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism quail initiative brochure in 2012, and several quail initiative features in the 2012 Bobwhite Almanac.

III.

Agricultural Conservation Policy

One year of funding remains for NBCIs FSA Liaison position, through December 2013. Refining CRP for bobwhites NBCIs daily presence in the USDA Farm Service Agency headquarters in Washington, DC, provides continual opportunities to improve CRP, such as: o Highlighting with FSA national staff the shortcomings in CRP pine management; o Supporting wildlife-friendly plantings in CRP practices. Some CRP bobwhite practices that the NBCI and NBTC had key roles in developing: o CP33 242,239 acres of native-vegetation borders around crop fields; o CP36 117,154 acres of longleaf pine established on marginal cropland; o CP42 53,704 acres of pollinator/grassland bird habitat established. Natives First proposal NBCI is providing national leadership for its proposal urging NRCS to use native vegetation for use in taxpayer-funded cost-share programs whenever possible: o NBCIs first request to former Chief White was rejected; o NBCI and NBTC regrouping, with new strategy and bigger coalition; o NBCI convened 30 conservation groups on July 2012 letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, urging emphasis on native warm-season forage grasses as drought management response. Facilitating partner input NBCI provides a unique inside USDA link to facilitate communications between FSA, NRCS and conservation partners across the country. Bobwhites in the Beltway This new, periodic NBCI newsletter has provided an informational service for partners, focused on USDA conservation policy news. Broader NBCI presence The NBCI has its highest and broadest presence ever in Washington, DC, by engaging new national conservation coalitions, including the Pollinator Partnership.

IV.

Quality Forest Management for Quail

Shortleaf Pine Initiative (SLPI) NBCI Forestry Coordinator Mike Black performing also as Interim Director of the SLPI has successfully shepherded the new Initiative to the point that: o The SLPI permanent home is established at the University of Tennessee; o The first outside grant, $123,000 from the USDA Forest Service, has been secured, to launch a range-wide shortleaf ecosystem restoration planning process; o A second, larger USFS planning/leadership grant already is in process; o A not-yet-named donor will fund a series of shortleaf pine ecosystem demonstration projects.
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CRP Mid-contract Management training NBCI and the NBTC Forestry Subcommittee developed a training program for USDA to use to inform its staff and technical service providers on managing pine plantations for grassland bird habitat; will be available to all states. Southern Group of State Foresters The NBCI has earned a trusted inside relationship with the SGSF the State Foresters, themselves, as well as the Land Management Chiefs creating new opportunities for joint policy initiatives for improved forest management. NBCI @ Longleaf Partnership Council NBCIs Black has been elected as Chair Elect of the unified body overseeing implementation of the Americas Longleaf strategy, ensuring that grassland bird habitat will remain a driving purpose and management standard of that initiative. Bobwhite forest habitat needs elevated NBCI forest management goals are higher profile among: o Southern Group of State Foresters, and their state forest resource assessments, o SEAFWA Forest Land Resources Committee, o AFWA Forestry Working Group, o Longleaf Alliance and Longleaf Partnership Council, o USDA Forest Service, o joint venture efforts to develop standards for Desired Future Conditions. Forestry consulting upon request NBCI provides forest management consulting and training services for partners such as three regional training workshops through the Central Hardwoods JV.

V.

Bobwhite Science and Information Network

NBCI 2.0 implementation NBCI Science Coordinator Tom Dailey is working with the NBTC, states, Tall Timbers Research Station (TTRS), and other partners to advance the NBCI 2.0 with state step-down plans: o Coordinating establishment and operation of the NBCI 2.0 at UT; o Coordinated training workshops for state quail coordinators at NBTC meetings and Quail VII. Quail VII National Quail Symposium NBCI coordinated and led the program planning, for hosts Arizona Game and Fish Department, in Tucson, AZ, January 2012: o Quail VII was well attended by 150 quail scientists and managers across North America; o Quail VII Proceedings are completed 12 months later, available through the NBCI website; o The NBCI has adopted this National Quail Symposium Series, with past symposium proceedings moved to UT and made available through the NBCI website. TPWD quail science and policy meetings Upon request, NBCI assisted the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 2012 by participating in: o a key quail science meeting, to recommend actions regarding hunting regulations and approaches to address declining quail populations; and o a joint meeting of two key advisory groups, at which TPWD announced its new NBCI-based quail focus areas initiative.

Bobwhite Habitat Inventory Project This prototype mechanism developed between the NBCI Science Coordinator and the states establishes the ability to collect range-wide quail hunting and habitat restoration/management data from NBCI states. Although the inventory is based on habitat needs of bobwhites, myriad grassland birds benefit from the management identified. This project documented a grand total of 1,806,431 acres of quail and grassland bird habitat management activity among participating states in calendar year 2011, including: o 461,165 acres of state public lands managed for bobwhite habitats; o 137,309 acres of private land bobwhite habitats managed through state agency programs; o 1,207,957 acres of private land bobwhite habitats managed through farm bill programs NBCI habitat and bird monitoring database An ad hoc working group of the NBTC Research Subcommittee is addressing needs for a central, long-term conservation tracking database, to be linked to the NBCI 2.0 database. NBCI Focus Area Program Led by the NBTC Research Subcommittee using Strategic Habitat Conservation concepts, we are developing a set of standard guidance and tools to foster successful bobwhite focus areas across the 25 NBCI states. Goals are to increase effective planning and implementation of focus areas, and to maximize the odds of achieving and documenting near-term success. The program also enables adaptive management of grassland birds, by collecting and analyzing population data for a suite of these species. This program has 3 parts: o strategic design so focus areas are sited, sized and set up in the best ways, for bobwhites and for adaptive management; o habitat tracking to ensure habitat restoration and management are documented with meaningful and comparable standards and metrics); and o population density monitoring of bobwhites and a suite of grassland birds to enable interstate compilation and comparison of the ultimate metric: birds.