Dear NAWMP Community,
For nearly four decades, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP or “the Plan”) has exemplified the success a shared commitment to conservation can bring. Since 1986, when the first Joint Ventures were established, the NAWMP has continued to build partnerships to achieve the conservation of waterfowl and the wide array of habitats that sustain them. The collaboration between the United States, Mexico and Canada, numerous regional and local governments, and a diverse group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has demonstrated that significant social, economic and environmental achievements are possible when people unite for a common conservation cause. The NAWMP has secured millions of acres for conservation and has improved management on millions more. We commend all groups for their individual and collective achievements.
The NAWMP has definitively demonstrated that the conservation of waterfowl and wetlands will safeguard biological diversity overall, with healthy ecosystems yielding broad benefits to people, including improved water management and water quality, climate change adaptation and spectacular recreational opportunities. The NAWMP connects us all a little more closely to the lands and waters that support us. The governments and NGOs involved recognize the importance of these considerations to people, and through the NAWMP they have the opportunity to address ongoing habitat losses by expanding and diversifying its partnerships. Listening to and engaging with new and diverse partners is crucial to achieve the NAWMP’s vision and goals for waterfowl populations, habitats and people.
Engaging local communities is a hallmark of successful conservation initiatives worldwide, and the NAWMP was among the first to take this approach. By forging strong connections with local communities and forming partnerships that better reflect the communities in which it operates, the NAWMP can amplify its conservation efforts and create more and lasting positive impacts for land, water, wildlife and people.
As the NAWMP approaches four decades of conservation success, we extend our gratitude to those who made it all possible. Your dedication and commitment have been instrumental in advancing a shared vision for the conservation of waterfowl, wetlands and the many environmental benefits that accrue to people.
