Using a Partners in Flight Plan
A Partners in Flight (PIF) plan can be used at any stage of land management. Based on your objective there are regional conservation plans and species-specific plans. Each plan varies based on the needs of the habitat or species and the available science.
In Oregon, Washington, and California regional landbird conservation plans complement the goals, objectives, and strategies in several other planning and conservation processes and initiatives by filling a niche that is usually absent in those efforts: quantitative, prescriptive recommendations for habitat conditions most suitable for individual and suites of landbird species at several geographic scales (e.g., regional, subregional, site). The use and implementation of these recommendations can be done independently for landbird-specific conservation, or complementarily within the context of broader conservation goals to support and strengthen other plans. The regional conservation plans are organized by geography and habitat type. There is a plan for your habitat in your geography.
Species-specific conservation plans can provide an overview of important conservation actions needed to address factors contributing to the decline. They can include a summary of the biological characteristics of the bird and the factors believed to be contributing to its decline, along with a list of critical activities needed for the conservation of that species. These plans are not as prolific as the regional conservation plans. You can find species-specific plans in the PIF resource library and on the Avian Knowledge Northwest website Conservation Assessments for Forest Service Region 6 Sensitive Species and Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management Special Status Species.
The Journey
PIF plans can be incorporated into the existing collaborative processes as highlighted in the Roadmap Concept. The PIF conservation planning process uses birds as indicators of habitat components and determines current and desired conditions, recommends prescription components, and implements monitoring to measure treatment effectiveness. Birds are considered excellent indicators of ecosystem health because they respond relatively quickly to habitat change, and individual focal species are sensitive to environmental variation at multiple trophic levels and multiple spatial scales. Focal species, at-risk birds, and climate knowledge can inform and evaluate restoration alternatives. Develop stand-scale prescriptions to achieve forest health and resiliency goals, and improve quality and complexity by applying avian science and planning tools.
During the project monitoring and research can be an integral part of the adaptive management process and will function to increase our knowledge base and provide scientific data to revise biological objectives as necessary and advance the effectiveness of conservation actions. After the treatments using habitat and population objectives, you can quantify success at site and landscape scales and apply lessons learned to the next planning cycle. On Avian Knowledge Northwest you can find PIF plans under resources and decision support tools.
To see a PIF plan in action check out Case Study: Adaptive Management.
Habitat Conservation for Landbirds in the Coniferous Forests of Western Oregon and Washington has been prepared to stimulate and support a proactive approach to the conservation of landbirds in coniferous forests of western Oregon and Washington. This Partners in Flight bird conservation plan offers recommendations intended to guide planning efforts and the habitat management actions of land managers, direct expenditures of government and non-government organizations, and stimulate monitoring and research to support landbird conservation. The recommendations also are expected to be the biological foundation for developing and implementing integrated conservation strategies for multiple species at multiple geographic scales to ensure functional ecosystems as indicated by healthy populations of landbirds.
This document has been prepared to stimulate and support an active approach to conservation of landbirds and their ecosystems in the East Cascade Mountains. It represents the collective efforts of individuals from multiple agencies and organizations within the Oregon-Washington Chapter of Partners in Flight. Participants included biologists and ecologists from Federal and State agencies, industry, private consulting firms, environmental organizations, and academia in order to ensure a full range of ideas, information flow, and practicalities. Recommendations included in this document are intended to guide planning efforts and actions of land managers, direct expenditures of government and non-government organizations, and stimulate monitoring and research to support landbird conservation. The recommendations also are expected to be the foundation for developing detailed conservation strategies at multiple geographic scales to ensure functional ecosystems with healthy populations of landbirds.
This document has been prepared to stimulate and support an active approach to conservation of landbirds in sagebrush-steppe, riparian, and unique habitats in the Columbia Plateau and Great Basin regions of eastern Oregon and Washington. In this Version 2.1 update, the biological objectives for habitat attributes and their focal species are updated where needed based on new data. This document represents the collective efforts of individuals from multiple agencies and organizations within the Oregon-Washington Chapter of Partners in Flight. Participants included biologists and ecologists from federal and state agencies, environmental organizations, and academia in order to ensure a full range of ideas, information flow, and practicalities.
