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
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Over a million records telling the tale of nearly a century of North American bird migrations have been rescued from obscurity and transcribed by an international network of more than 2,000 volunteers, making the records available for the first time online for use by researchers and the public. The records, which span from 1880 to 1970, provide information on what areas of the country birds were spotted in and when they have arrived or departed from areas during spring and fall. The information is of use identifying how birds’ ranges and migration patterns have changed over time. The one-millionth transcription
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The AMJV is proud to announce that the Pennsylvania Young Forest Council’s Golden-winged Warbler Habitat Initiative received a North American Migratory Bird Joint Venture Conservation Champion Award for their innovative approach to protecting public and private lands for priority species. The Pennsylvania Golden-winged Warbler Habitat Initiative began in 2011 to enhance and create habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler, one of the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture’s highest priority species. This partnership’s effort has resulted in 39,108 acres of potential Golden-winged Warbler breeding habitat on private and public lands. Partners of this initiative include the Pennsylvania Game Commission; USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service;
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The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) is proud to announce the creation of the American Woodcock Society (AWS), a branch of RGS initiated to expand forest habitat efforts and upland hunting opportunities to new landscapes across the nation. “The formation of the American Woodcock Society is a landmark event for forest conservation in the United States. The Ruffed Grouse Society has been the leader in woodcock conservation for decades. The creation of AWS expands existing efforts while advancing habitat creation and membership reach to additional regions that may not have ruffed grouse populations,” said RGS/AWS President and CEO John Eichinger. While
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Despite persistent late-occurring snowstorms, average temperatures are starting to climb, soon to be followed by the most deadly period of the year for birds: springtime. Although spring means new life and hope to many people, billions of birds face the tribulations of a perilous migration followed shortly by breeding and the production of scores of newborn birds that will spend several highly vulnerable weeks as they grow and fledge. According to Dr. George Fenwick, President of ABC, “Spring is a deadly time for birds for three big reasons. Scientists estimate that 300 million to one billion birds die each year
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The largest coalition ever assembled on the issue of wildlife mortality from feral cats—including more than 200 groups—has called on Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell in a letter to take action to reduce mortality to wildlife populations on public lands stemming from the nation’s ever-increasing population of feral cats. The coalition includes a broad range of groups, from national bird and wildlife conservation organizations to animal rights groups and state government agencies. “The number of domestic cats in the United States has tripled over the last 40 years and continues to rise,” said Dr. George Fenwick, President of
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