Bird Conservation Alliance Charter
The Bird Conservation Alliance is a network
of organizations that focus on bird conservation, study,
education, and observation, representing millions of birdwatchers
and concerned citizens, united for the conservation of
birds.
The Alliance will work to ensure a broad-based,
informed and effective network for bird conservation with
the central goal of conserving healthy populations of
native wild birds in the Americas. The Alliance will serve
as a forum for organizations to exchange information and
ideas regarding current issues in bird conservation. The
Alliance will assist its members in conducting collaborative
advocacy, and will offer resources to assist its members
in their bird conservation work.
Bird Conservation Alliance Vision
The Alliance will work to prevent further
bird extinctions, to reverse declines in bird populations,
and to assure the protection and management of sufficient
habitat to effectively conserve populations of the full
range of native wild bird species for the future.
Opportunity and Need
With the growth of interest in birds and
bird conservation, there is a tremendous opportunity to
substantially increase coordination among the many diverse
groups concerned about birds. Through such coordination,
many more of the estimated 60 million birdwatchers in
the U.S. could become engaged in supporting bird conservation,
and more groups and individuals concerned about nature
throughout the Americas could become involved in conserving
birds and their habitats.
This coordination is essential, because
more bird species are of conservation concern in the U.S.
today than at any time in history, and there has been
a significant increase in the number of bird species listed
as endangered over the last 20 years. Outside the U.S.,
more than 300 bird species in the Americas are listed
as threatened with extinction, and breeding and non-breeding
habitat for many migratory birds is in severe decline.
The underlying threats to birds and their habitats continue
to grow as human expansion and technology constantly press
on the environment. A strong new Bird Conservation Alliance
is needed to assure healthy populations of birds for the
future.
Principles
The Alliance will stimulate a network of
support for bird conservation throughout the Americas,
and will help engage groups through enhanced communication
and collaboration. The Alliance members will work together
to exchange ideas, information, and strategies that will
address the full range of issues affecting birds. Further,
the Alliance will work with a range of diverse partners
including land-owners, government, and non-governmental
groups to fulfill its mission.
The partner organizations will advocate
good habitat management, education, research, land acquisition
and other conservation tools to achieve bird conservation.
The Alliance and its partners will also employ the best
science to help understand and respond to changes in bird
populations.
Goals of the Alliance
To build a comprehensive network of bird
and nature groups to increase the effectiveness of bird
conservation through communication and collaborative action.
To help protect and manage habitats to conserve
the diversity of bird species and the abundance of bird
populations.
To reduce human-induced mortality factors
such as environmental contaminants, introduced species,
and lighted structures that can affect population levels
of native wild birds.
To support the maintenance and improvement
of laws, regulations, and treaties that protect birds.
To increase funding for bird conservation.
To support bird conservation throughout
the Americas, and to increase recognition of the importance
of international bird conservation.
To promote birds as an important biological,
aesthetic, and economic resource for the future.
