A Vision for the Future

Partners from around the Western Hemisphere gathered at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7 to launch the next century of bird conservation.

As the United States and Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Migratory Bird Treaty and the 80th anniversary of the treaty between the U.S. and Mexico this year, the three nations' top leaders charged the bird conservation community with developing a vision for the next 100 years of cooperative bird conservation. Representatives from all three nations created a framework for a vision that broadens already successful conservation efforts to encompass the entire Western Hemisphere, recognizing that many birds traverse not just national borders but continental ones, as well.

Successful bird conservation recognizes that the health of birds – and their habitats – is vital not just to sustaining their populations, but also to building and nourishing thriving human communities, economies and cultures, connecting people with nature, and providing valuable ecological services and benefiting many other wildlife species. The vision calls for a strong collaborative effort across the public and private sectors - informed by sound science - to confront the new challenges facing bird and habitat conservation. The Dec. 7 event served as an invitation to the bird conservation community to join in charting the path forward.

"We hope that you will join us as we chart the path forward to building and expanding a network of diverse partners and learn from each other's successes, challenges, and priorities," said Michael Bean, principal deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks at the Department of the Interior.

Read the vision for the next 100 years of bird conservation:
 English (468.7KB)
 French (535.4KB)
 Spanish (504KB)

Learn more about the Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial and how you can be involved in bird conservation