Neotropical migratory bird conservation

The project, to be implemented by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), will provide grants to NGO"s, government agencies, and independent researchers to carry out the above activities. The project is a major component of the multinational "Partners in Flight" program to prioritize species and habitats of greatest concern and develop a framework for long-term management. NFWF will administer a competitive grants program and will coordinate the development of a strategic plan for conservation of neotropical migratory birds -- birds that nest in the United States or Canada, and winter in Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America. The plan, which will be formulated in consultation with Latin American and Caribbean biologists, resource managers, and administrators, will identify priority wintering grounds for research, monitoring, and management activities. The project will not directly support the management of neotropical migratory birds or their habitats. Grants will be provided to NGO"s, government agencies, and independent researchers for research, monitoring, training, and educational activities in support of the Partners in Flight Program. Training may be at the undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate level, and will be conducted mainly at host country institutions. The umbrella Partners in Flight program is designed to bring together public and private conservation interests from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean to develop an integrated approach to the management of neotropical migratory birds. Funding for the program is expected from a variety of government and private sector sources. In addition, grants provided under the project will generally be matching grants. This project was developed in response to a Congressional Mandate in the FY91 Foreign Assistance Appropriations Act.