A Multi-Scale Decision Support Tool to Guide Implementation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan in WI, USA

PARTICIPANTS

Jake Straub, PhD, Research Scientist
Research Foundation for State University of New York (SUNY)

OVERVIEW

The goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan target a combination of biological and social objectives that are prioritized regionally through Joint Venture partnerships. Local detail is critical for implementing waterfowl habitat delivery and making efficient use of limited funds for conservation. We developed a transparent framework to identify and prioritize landscapes for conserving waterfowl habitat at the Hydrologic Unit Code 12 watershed scale in Wisconsin, by maintaining continental and regional priorities, and including local landscape characteristics, biological and social criteria, and researcher, manager, and biologist expertise. Our models are science-based, transparent, defensible, and can be modified as social, political, biological, and environmental forces change.