A True Revision, Not Just an Update
Marking the 25th anniversary of the original 1986 North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), the 2012 Revision — titled People Conserving Waterfowl and Wetlands — delivered a renewed vision for continental waterfowl conservation. This marked the first true revision (not merely an update) since inception, involving fundamental re-examination of goals through extensive consultations with stakeholders across federal, provincial/territorial, state, and NGO partners in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Integrating Populations, Habitat, and People
Shifting from a primary focus on abundant waterfowl populations via habitat work, the 2012 Plan integrated populations, habitat, and people — emphasizing a growing, supportive core of hunters and viewers, reconnection with nature, and broader societal benefits of wetlands (e.g., water quality, flood control, carbon storage). It outlined seven key recommendations to build an integrated waterfowl management enterprise:
- revising shared objectives
- establishing a Human Dimensions Working Group
- reconnecting people with wetlands
- prioritizing high-impact landscapes
- adapting harvest strategies
- boosting adaptive capacity, and
- ensuring complementary programs.
From Vision to Action
The companion 2012 NAWMP Action Plan served as a practical "call to action," offering initial guidance, strategic ideas, and detailed key actions/technical steps to implement the Revision's recommendations. Released alongside trilingual versions (English, French, Spanish), this milestone reinforced NAWMP as a global model for collaborative, adaptive wildlife conservation amid challenges like declining hunter numbers, climate change, urbanization, and fiscal pressures.
