Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

About the NAWMP

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP or "the Plan") began as a response to declining waterfowl populations and has served as the foundation for continental conservation of waterfowl and their habitats for nearly four decades in Canada and the United States, and for three decades in Mexico. The NAWMP partnership has been adaptive and extraordinarily successful in its efforts. Much of the NAWMP's work is conducted by regional Joint Ventures (JVs) in the United States and Canada. Two JVs also operate in Mexico, but much of the work there is conducted in Management Units for Wildlife Conservation (UMAs; see Appendix A for a map of existing JVs and UMAs). In Mexico, the federal government owns all waterbodies; these are critical for accomplishing NAWMP goals.

This 2024 NAWMP Update reviews the progress made toward achieving the goals outlined in the 2012 Revision, as detailed in the 2014 Addendum (NAWMP 2014) and further refined in the 2018 Update. It also offers recommendations for decision-makers within the waterfowl management community that address changing conditions and new opportunities for conservation success. The NAWMP has an unprecedented opportunity to engage current and new partners and ramp up its efforts to achieve goals for waterfowl populations, habitats and people.

the stakes

The Challenge: Ongoing Habitat Loss

Despite the success of the NAWMP and relatively high current population numbers, waterfowl habitat losses continue at scales and rates that challenge the NAWMP's goal to sustain continental waterfowl populations. The landscapes that support waterfowl are not static; they change dramatically through natural wet/dry cycles and are increasingly affected by human influences, such as agricultural intensification, urban and industrial development, and increased demands for water. Additionally, climate change introduces both known (e.g., sea-level rise) and less understood impacts that may exacerbate the challenges the NAWMP faces in sustaining habitats for waterfowl, other bird species and overall biodiversity.

Wetland loss remains a pervasive threat. A recent study of the status and trends in the United States reported a 50% increase in loss from 2009 to 2019 compared to the previous 10-year period. Approximately 670,000 acres of palustrine vegetated wetlands were lost during the period, including substantial losses of prairie pothole wetlands (Lang et al. 2024). In Canada, many jurisdictions lack comprehensive legislation for wetland protection, and recent judicial rulings in the United States will likely weaken protections there. The NAWMP partnership must seek innovative means to increase the rate and scale of habitat conservation and restoration across the continent, and it must do so rapidly to sustain waterfowl populations at desired levels.

the challenge

A Crisis in the Northern Great Plains

Perhaps nowhere is the challenge of habitat loss more acute than in the Northern Great Plains, where a significant proportion of continental waterfowl are produced annually. Across the Great Plains, grassland loss approaches 70%, with 32 million acres lost since 2012, and 1.6 million acres lost in 2021 alone (World Wildlife Fund 2023). Loss of grasslands in the Prairie Pothole and Prairie Habitat Joint Ventures has been estimated to occur at an alarming rate of 0.23% annually. Over the next decade, undisturbed grassland is projected to be lost at a rate 7 to 25 times faster than rates of protection (Fields and Barnes 2019).

Beyond Waterfowl

Conservation That Benefits Everyone

Factors impairing the ability of landscapes to support waterfowl and other wildlife also affect the provision of a wide array of ecosystem services and other benefits. Since the beginning, the NAWMP has acknowledged that people fundamentally value waterfowl, wetlands and the multiple benefits that wetlands provide. Given the multiple benefits provided by the NAWMP's conservation work—support for biological diversity, watershed management, flood reduction, carbon sequestration, cultural practices and recreation to name a few—a unique opportunity exists to more effectively communicate these outcomes in order to increase the rate and scale of conservation. By focusing on the multiple benefits of their wetland conservation efforts, NAWMP partners potentially can engage a broader and more diverse group of partners and a greater diversity of funding opportunities.

For example, in addition to groups that have traditionally supported waterfowl conservation efforts through the NAWMP, such as hunters and birders, potential new NAWMP partners and supporters may include Indigenous communities seeking to improve opportunities to engage in traditional activities, local or regional governments interested in reducing flooding or improving their water supplies, or farmers and ranchers seeking more sustainable approaches to manage agricultural lands. Additionally, many corporations and foundations are eager to support nature-based solutions to ecological challenges affecting communities across North America. Strategic communication of the benefits of conserving waterfowl habitats can greatly assist NAWMP partners as they pursue stronger wetland protection policies.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Expanding the Partnership

Whether new partners join the NAWMP, or existing partners reach out and engage with other groups focused on broader objectives, significant opportunities exist to enhance the NAWMP's efforts to halt or reverse habitat degradation or loss in key waterfowl landscapes. Broader engagement is also a key to achieving the NAWMP objective of partnerships, supporters and practitioners evolving to better reflect the communities in which the NAWMP operates.

In instances where NAWMP partners already communicate the multiple benefits that accrue from conserving waterfowl habitat, the increased engagement has been both impressive and encouraging, attracting new supporters and substantial new financial resources that contribute to NAWMP objectives for wetlands and waterfowl.

MOMENTUM

The Path Forward

The goal of NAWMP habitat conservation is to sustain continental waterfowl populations. Waterfowl habitat conservation also provides numerous ecosystem benefits to people, including improved water quality and quantity, flood attenuation, climate mitigation, nutrient sequestration and recreational spaces. By identifying and quantifying these benefits, NAWMP partners can communicate the Plan's multiple advantages and engage with potential new supporters for wetland conservation, increased funding and public policy advancement. Ultimately, communication of the multiple benefits of NAWMP conservation may lead to expanded partnerships that can help reverse wetland and other habitat losses, contributing to sustainable waterfowl populations and the communities that share landscapes with them.

The future success of waterfowl conservation hinges on the NAWMP's ability to grow and diversify its partnership base, achieving conservation at a scale that reverses habitat loss. Expanding the NAWMP umbrella by listening to and engaging with new and diverse partners is a timely and logical step to secure the additional resources needed to fulfill the NAWMP vision and goals for waterfowl populations, habitat and people.