Birds & Conservation >

WHAT IS Bird Conservation Minnesota?
Bird Conservation Minnesota (BCM) is a voluntary partnership of agencies and organizations interested in the conservation of all wild bird species. Our vision is to keep common birds common and reverse species decline. Audubon Minnesota is playing a key role in this initiative but BCM is a cooperative conservation initiative made up of federal, state, and local government agencies, other conservation groups, academic communities, industry, and private individuals committed to conservation of birds in Minnesota. It is the goal of BCM to direct resources to the conservation of all birds and their habitats through cooperative efforts in the areas of research, monitoring, management, and education. It is not the goal of BCM to become a new non-profit or government organization. Outcomes will be achieved by supporting and enhancing the mutual goals of the participating organizations through collaborative efforts.

NEED FOR Bird Conservation Minnesota
The task of all-bird conservation is too complex for any single organization to accomplish alone. BCM began when a diverse set of bird conservation organizations met in St. Cloud in 2003 and 2004 to chart a course for statewide bird conservation. Using the four national bird conservation plans (Waterfowl, Waterbird, Shorebird, Partners in Flight), BCM will work with biologists, wildlife managers, birders, and other conservation partners to help direct conservation initiatives at the state level.

WHAT WILL Bird Conservation Minnesota DO?
Bird Conservation Minnesota will work to:

• Identify priority species and habitats, and establish objectives for bird populations and their habitats in Minnesota so that we can establish measurable goals and objectives.
• Build strong connections among bird conservation organizations and individuals in the state to help insure the conservation of Minnesota’s rich and diverse avifauna.
• Understand how various bird conservation efforts relate to each other in Minnesota so that the challenge of bird conservation is accomplished in the most efficient and effective way possible.
• Identify focus areas for bird conservation in Minnesota. Find people knowledgeable in these areas, and identify conservation work to address the needs.
• Create an all-bird conservation plan or strategy for Minnesota that coordinates with other local, state and national wildlife planning efforts.
• Plan on-going implementation opportunities that engage all the BCM partners in conservation efforts.
• Build public support through education, tourism, and bird-friendly communities to ensure that a well-informed public understands the importance of conservation and birds.

SIGN ON
BCM welcomes all partners and encourage questions and comments. These can be directed to Audubon Minnesota’s BCM Partnership Coordinator: Ron Windingstad at Audubon Minnesota, 2357 Ventura Drive, Suite 106, St. Paul, MN 55125. Tel: 651-739-9332; Fax: 651-731-1330.