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Corporate Campaign for Migratory Bird Conservation Model Projects First Flight Awards 2006 Update
Riparian Areas of the Great Basin:
A Management Guide for Landowners The Wildlife Habitat Council announces the release of a new publication on riparian management, as part of the CCMBC program. This publication outlines conservation strategies and suggestions to assist landowners and resource managers in mitigating ecological threats and improving riparian areas on their properties. |
Vision
Imagine a day when natural areas throughout the Western Hemisphere are linked – crisscrossing the land to form wild corridors for our migratory birds and other creatures. Mission
The Wildlife Habitat Council’s (WHC) Corporate Campaign for Migratory Bird Conservation (CCMBC) is a corporate-led initiative designed to preserve and restore habitat on corporate lands, in cooperation with other public and private landowners, along critical migratory bird routes in the Western Hemisphere. 
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Introduction
The Wildlife Habitat Council was created in 1988 to enhance the quality of natural areas that occur on corporate lands. The WHC approach emphasizes voluntary stewardship and encourages collaboration with local communities. Over the past 15 years, WHC has assisted with a variety of wildlife conservation projects at over 1,000 corporate facility sites. Each of these projects was implemented in partnership with local organizations and reaching out to tens of thousands of individuals in local communities. These accomplishments have, almost spontaneously, generated creative new conservation opportunities on corporate lands – for new partnerships within companies, between companies, with communities, as well as with federal, state and local government land owners. WHC's programs are designed to serve corporations that are interested in making minimal investments (of time or funding), and at the other end of the spectrum, opportunities to participate in programs that are more complex, require a larger investment, or are international in scope. Additionally, some corporations that are dedicated to land conservation, but have no land holdings, make financial contributions to WHC. Why Focus on Migratory Birds? - Migratory birds are everywhere. The subject of birds is a powerful, central organizing principle. Because migratory birds are everywhere they are an effective central organizing principle for achieving many local, regional, national and international conservation goals.
- People love birds. In the United States alone, over 70 million enjoy bird watching as a hobby
- Migratory bird populations are declining at a dramatic rate. Migratory birds are indicator species – a litmus test for overall environmental quality. Healthy bird populations indicate healthy habitats; declining bird populations indicate degraded habitats.
- New opportunities to receive matching funds for private land conservation projects. There are numerous "funding streams" targeted to migratory bird conservation.
- Corporations can maximize conservation investment and exposure. A national and international framework (and infrastructure) is in place. Corporations can maximize their conservation investments by collaborating with and feeding into existing, science-based, strategic hemisphere-wide migratory bird conservation plans.
- Strategic opportunities for corporations to lead in the conservation arena. Corporations are underrepresented in the design and implementation of strategic, hemispheric-wide migratory bird conservation plans
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How can Corporations Help? CCMBC Program Packet CCMBC Presentation There are extensive corporate landholdings suitable for habitat enhancement and restoration. Conservationists have generally overlooked these lands. The vast quantities of corporate lands provide a unique opportunity for corporations to become leaders in migratory bird conservation – through voluntary conservation action on their lands. The benefits are many. Corporations will maximize conservation investments by linking corporate site activities to many other local and regional conservation efforts. Overall Objectives - Integrate and increase the impact of corporate conservation efforts.
- Science based migratory bird conservation.
- Expanded partnership opportunities with stakeholders and communities.
- On-the-ground demonstration of how to protect and restore biodiversity.
Within identified corridors, WHC will facilitate conservation and restoration activities on corporate lands in the United States and abroad, engaging and coordinating the involvement of project partners, collaborators and other stakeholder – utilizing existing national and international migratory bird conservation frameworks. Contact WHC for more information at Whc@wildlifehc.org Suggested reading online:
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