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PIF Website Contact |
What is Partners in Flight (PIF)?Partners in Flight / Compañeros en Vuelo / Partenaires d’Envol was launched in 1990 in response to growing concerns about declines in the populations of many land bird species, and in order to emphasize the conservation of birds not covered by existing conservation initiatives. The initial focus was on neotropical migrants, species that breed in the Nearctic (North America) and winter in the Neotropics (Central and South America), but the focus has spread to include most landbirds and other species requiring terrestrial habitats. The central premise of Partners in Flight (PIF) has been that the resources of public and private organizations in North and South America must be combined, coordinated, and increased in order to achieve success in conserving bird populations in this hemisphere. Partners in Flight is a cooperative effort involving partnerships among federal, state and local government agencies, philanthropic foundations, professional organizations, conservation groups, industry, the academic community, and private individuals. All Partners in Flight meetings at all levels are open to anyone interested in bird conservation and we eagerly seek your contribution.
PARTNERS IN FLIGHT MISSION The Partners in Flight mission is expressed in three related concepts:
PARTNERS IN FLIGHT GOALS
Partners in Flight Products available: Partners in Flight North American Landbird Conservation Plan (continental US-Canada plan) Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plans (plans for individual states and/or physiographic areas) Relation to the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and Other Bird Initiatives Partners in Flight is committed to maintaining the science and planning base for the hundreds of species of landbirds for which PIF is the advocate. However, partners are completely committed to the principles of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative [add link] and to working closely and efficiently with all bird conservation initiatives and, indeed, with all conservation initiatives in the broadest sense. An inherent objective of each committee and working group described below is to coordinate and communicate at all appropriate levels with other initiatives to ensure that our conservation efforts are efficient and effective. Our committees, working groups and other organizational structures also will continue to be flexible as bird conservation grows and evolves. Partners in Flight - U.S. Organizational Structure
The following describes the formal structure and organizational framework of Partners in Flight in the United States. Partners in Flight is coordinated by four parallel national committees representing participants from: state government agencies; federal government agencies; non-governmental conservation organizations; and private industry. Two oversight committees, the Implementation Committee and the PIF Council, provide forums to discuss and resolve major issues that involve all levels of Partners in Flight. The oversight committees meet twice annually - during the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in the spring and during the annual meeting of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in the fall. State Agency Committee The State Agency Committee consists of representatives from State and Territorial fish and wildlife agencies. Representation on the committee is composed of one member from each regional fish and wildlife association (i.e., Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Association of Midwest Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Resource Agencies), and a fifth member who chairs the committee. The chair is appointed by the president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), with which all regional associations are affiliated, and the regional representatives are designated by the presidents of the regional associations. AFWA is an association of fish and wildlife agencies in all 50 states of the United States, the U.S. Territories, Puerto Rico, the Canadian Provinces, and the Mexican federal government. A coordinator is staffed by AFWA.
Federal Agency Committee The Federal Agency Committee is comprised of representatives from each agency that has signed the federal Partners in Flight Memorandum of Agreement. Each agency may assign up to three representatives to the committee. Membership on the committee is open to any federal agency interested in taking an active role in bird conservation. Member agencies are encouraged to take appropriate actions within the limits of their respective authorities, policies and budgets. Responsibility for chairing the committee rotates every two years to a different member federal agency. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Migratory Bird Management serves as a technical advisory body to the committee. Non-governmental Organization Committee The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Committee consists of representatives from each organization that has signed the NGO Partners in Flight Memorandum of Understanding. More broadly, participation is open to all NGOs that endorse the program and will actively commit resources to foster its goals. An elected chairperson serves the committee, which meets at least twice annually. The chair of the NGO Committee is also chair of the NGO Steering Committee, which consists of one representative from each of seven categories of organizations. Industry Committee The Industry Committee consists of representatives from private industry that have signed the Industry Partners in Flight Memorandum of Agreement. This committee was established in recognition of the critical role that industry is playing in bird conservation action. Participation is open to all industries that endorse the program and will actively commit resources to foster its goals. Each company may appoint up to three representatives to the committee. The chair of the committee is elected every two years and the responsibility rotates to a different member. PIF Council Although the Federal, State, NGO and Industry Committees exist as separate, independent entities, they act together as the PIF Council to coordinate activities, foster cooperation, and discuss program-wide policy issues and priorities. Specific responsibilities include: 1) identifying program-wide priorities and making decisions on courses of action, 2) ensuring that effective communication and coordination exists, 3) discussing policy issues that concern the structure, operation, and mission of the program, and 4) reviewing working group activities to ensure that all needs are addressed and duplication is avoided. This committee consists of the chairs of the four national committees. PIF Implementation Committee The Implementation Committee coordinates Partners in Flight priorities and overall direction and identifies critical issues that need to be brought before the Council for discussion and decisions. It also serves as an executive committee, to ensure that decisions and recommendations of the Council are implemented. It consists of the chairs of the regional and technical working groups, the National Coordinator, the chair of the Science Committee, official staff coordinators from those agencies that have designated them, and representatives from both Canada and Mexico.
Awards Committee The Awards Committee solicits nominations for awards, reviews nominations, and makes recommendations to the PIF Council for approval. The chair is appointed by the PIF Council and the chair selects additional members of the committee. Awards are given annually in four categories - Investigations, Stewardship, Communication, and Leadership - and are presented in the spring at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. Procedural details are reviewed and revised, as necessary, by the committee. PIF International Science Committee The Science Committee is primarily responsible for implementing actions under PIF Goal I - Ensure an active scientifically-based conservation design process that identifies and develops solutions to threats and risks to landbird populations. This includes maintaining, revising and evaluating the technical content of the PIF North American Landbird Conservation Plan and PIF Species Assessment Databases. This working group is responsible for addressing all other technical issues concerning landbird conservation at the national and international levels. The Science Committee provides assistance, as practicable, to regional, BCR, JV, state or other geographic scales and is responsible for helping to step down continental objectives and to resolve discrepancies between continental and regional biological objectives. The Committee consists of the National Coordinator, chair of the Monitoring and Inventory Working Group, chair of the Research Working Group, representatives from Canada and Mexico, and other technical experts that the incumbent members or other partners may suggest. Contact the Technical Working Group Chairs National-level technical working groups have been established in the fields of research, monitoring and inventory, communication, education, and international relations. These groups bring together experts in their respective fields to recommend actions necessary to promote the conservation of birds and their habitats. Working groups synthesize and apply the work and conclusions of experts to provide a basis for action by participating agencies, NGOs, and others. Membership in technical working groups is open to all with a desire to contribute to the conservation of birds. National-level technical working groups produce action plans annually, identifying ongoing needs and goals as well as specific objectives or projects to be carried out in a given year. They further communicate and coordinate with their equivalents at the regional and state level for implementation. Each working group has one or two chairs who convene meetings and consult with members as needed and who are official members of the Management Steering Committee. International Working Group The International Working Group seeks to actively involve participants from Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This working group strives to adapt the Partners in Flight Program to meet local resource conservation needs. This is accomplished by publishing a newsletter - La Tangara, assisting with international communication and training, strengthening in-country programs, promoting north-south linkages and integrating international issues into the other working groups.
Research Working Group The Research Working Group identifies research needs and generates, synthesizes, and communicates data and other information necessary to understand the problems, identify solutions, and implement bird conservation measures for those species within the scope of the Partners in Flight mission. Click here for information on PIF Research needs. Monitoring and Inventory Working Group The Monitoring and Inventory Working Group determines priorities and recommends techniques for monitoring and inventory of bird populations and bird habitats on breeding and nonbreeding areas, and interprets results of monitoring and inventory programs. The group communicates to users the methods that can be used to provide the solid, scientific basis for conservation plans. PIF Monitoring Working Group Website Communications Working Group The Communications Working Group improves communication and outreach about the conservation, management, and research of birds and their habitats. This group facilitates information networking among working groups and others. It is responsible for explaining the nature and role of Partners in Flight to the general public in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. Education Working Group The Education Working Group focuses on education of various audiences about the biology, ecology and conservation of birds and their habitats throughout the western hemisphere. The group promotes educational activities, recreational programs, and volunteer projects that target schools, private landowners and the general public in the U.S. and internationally. Contact the Regional Working Group Chairs For more information on Regional Working Groups Four regional working groups have been established in the West, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. Each has a chair and a committee structure that generally parallels that of the national technical working groups (i.e., research, monitoring and inventory, communications, education, and international). Chairs are official members of the Implementation Committee. The regional working group’s mission is to develop a regional strategy for the conservation of birds within their respective regions by developing Bird Conservation Plans that identify problems, synthesize information, and generate solutions to be used by resource professionals and the general public. Regional working groups foster communication, coordination, and cooperation among agencies, organizations, academic institutions, and individuals interested in conserving birds within their respective regions. Regions are defined by the states and territories listed below; note that some are in two regions by their request. Southeast Working Group: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands. Northeast Working Group: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware. Midwest Working Group: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. Western Working Group: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. State & Territory Working Groups These working groups are the level of the Partner In Flight organization that is closest to the ground. The structure of these working groups generally parallels the national and regional structure in having committees devoted to monitoring and inventory, research, information, education, and international. However, there is more variation at this level as each working group seeks to meet those local needs and issues most important in its particular area. Objectives parallel those described above for the regional working groups. To reach PIF State ContactsFuture Organizational Direction Partners in Flight has succeeded partly because it has been a flexible coalition, with various organizational units adapting as necessary to meet new needs and opportunities. We see this continuing into the future and are always open to better ways of achieving the conservation of birds and their habitats. |
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