Dear AMJV Partners,

With 2014 well underway, I want to celebrate another very successful year for the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV). We continue to grow and succeed as a partnership, and that was certainly reflected in the multiple accomplishments during 2013. Some major highlights include:

• Hired Becky Keller as our Science Coordinator in February
• AMJV staff and partners played key roles in the Partners in Flight V Conference, including co-leading and facilitating some of the geographic focal area groups and helping draft the Conservation Business Plans for those focal areas.
• The Cerulean Warbler Forest Management Project received the Partners In Flight Award for Investigations. This project was completed in 2010 and resulted in the development of the Cerulean Warbler Management Guidelines for Enhancing Breeding Habitat in Appalachian Hardwood Forests released in February 2013.
• The Eastern Golden Eagle Working Group, which includes many AMJV partners, received the U.S. Forest Service Wings Across the Americas 2013 Research and Management Partnership Award.
• The Pennsylvania Young Forests Council Golden-winged Warbler Initiative received the Joint Venture Conservation Champions Award for Regional Partnership.
• The Natural Resources Conservation Service Working Lands for Wildlife Program continues to be a critical resource for Golden-winged Warbler habitat enhancement on private lands. In FY2013 over $2.9 million was obligated in contracts, committing 5,671 acres to habitat improvement.

The success and strength of the AMJV lies with its dedicated partners, and your many accomplishments in 2013 are highlighted in this year-in-review. I know there is a lot here, but you as partners have been busy, and those accomplishments deserve recognition. We continue to face shrinking budgets and fewer resources, yet this partnership maintains an impressive record of successes in bird conservation. I thank everyone for their continued support and dedication to the AMJV partnership, and I look forward to continuing our work into 2014.

Todd Fearer
Coordinator, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture