Management
Recommendations for Washington's
Priority Species, Volume IV: Birds
May 2004
ABSTRACT
Management Recommendations
for Washington's Priority Species, Volume IV: Birds is the third
published volume in a series containing species management recommendations,
and includes most birds on the Priority
Habitats and Species (PHS) List. Each species account within
this volume provides information on the bird's geographic distribution
and the rationale for its inclusion on the PHS List. The habitat
requirements and limiting factors for each species are discussed,
and management recommendations addressing the issues in these sections
are based on the best available science. Each species document includes
a bibliography of the literature used for its development, and each
has a key points section that summarizes the habitat requirements
and management recommendations for the species.
INTRODUCTION
Fish
and wildlife are public resources. Although the Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is charged with protecting and perpetuating
fish and wildlife species, the agency has very limited authority
over the habitat on which animals depend. Instead, protection of
Washington's fish and wildlife resources is currently achieved through
voluntary actions of landowners and through the State
Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), Growth
Management Act (GMA), Forest
Practices Act (FPA), Shoreline
Management Act (SMA), and similar planning processes that primarily
involve city and county governments. Landowners, agencies, governments,
and members of the public have a shared responsibility to protect
and maintain fish and wildlife resources for present and future
generations; the information contained in this document is intended
to assist all entities in this endeavor.
The Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife has identified those fish and wildlife
resources that are a priority for management and conservation. Priority
habitats are those habitat types with unique or significant value
to many fish or wildlife species. Priority species are those fish
and wildlife species requiring special efforts to ensure their perpetuation
because of their low numbers, sensitivity to habitat alteration,
tendency to form vulnerable aggregations, or because they are of
commercial, recreational, or tribal importance. Descriptions of
those habitats and species designated as priority are published
in the Priority Habitats and Species (PHS) List.
PHS MANAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
The department
has developed management recommendations for Washington's priority
habitats and species to provide planners, elected officials, landowners,
and citizens with comprehensive information on important fish, wildlife,
and habitat resources. These management recommendations are designed
to assist in making land use decisions that incorporate the needs
of fish and wildlife. Considering the needs of fish and wildlife
can help prevent species from becoming extinct or increasingly threatened
and may contribute to the recovery of species already imperiled.
Agency biologists
develop management recommendations for Washington's priority habitats
and species through a comprehensive review and synthesis of the
best scientific information available. Sources include professional
journals and publications, symposia, reference books, and personal
communications with professionals on specific habitats or species.
Management recommendations are reviewed within the Department and
by other resource professionals and potential users of the information.
The recommendations may be revised if scientists learn more regarding
a priority habitat or priority species.
Because PHS
management recommendations address fish and wildlife resources statewide,
they are generalized. Management recommendations are not intended
as site-specific prescriptions but as guidelines for planning. Because
natural systems are inherently complex and because human activities
have added to that complexity, management recommendations may have
to be modified for on-the-ground implementation. Modifications to
management recommendations should strive to retain or restore characteristics
needed by fish and wildlife. Consultation with fish and wildlife
professionals is recommended when modifications are being considered.
The locations
of priority habitats and species are mapped statewide. The maps
represent WDFW's best knowledge of Washington State's fish and wildlife
resources based on research and field surveys conducted over the
past 20 years. Management recommendations should be addressed whenever
priority habitats and species occur in a particular area whether
or not the WDFW maps show that occurrence. These maps can be used
for initial assessment of fish and wildlife resources in an area,
but they should also be supplemented with a field survey or local
knowledge to determine the presence of priority habitats or priority
species. The PHS data show WDFW's knowledge of important fish and
wildlife resources but cannot show the absence of these resources.
In summary,
management recommendations for Washington's priority habitats and
species:
| Are: |
|
Are
not: |
| Guidelines |
|
Regulations |
| Generalized |
|
Site specific |
| Updated
with new information |
|
Static |
| Based on
fish and wildlife needs |
|
Based on
other land use objectives |
| To be used
for all occurrences |
|
To be used
only for mapped occurrences |
FORMAT
Management recommendations
for each priority species are written in six primary sections:
- General
Range and Washington Distribution - Summarizes information
on the geographic extent of the species in Washington and throughout
its range.
- Rationale
- Outlines the basis for designating the species as priority.
- Habitat
Requirements - Delineates the species' known habitat associations.
- Limiting
Factors - Specifies factors that may limit the species' distribution
and abundance in Washington.
- Management
Recommendations - Provides management guidelines based on
a synthesis of the best available scientific information.
- Key Points
- Summarizes the most important elements of the species' biology
and associated management recommendations.
Management recommendations for Washington's priority habitats and
species are intended to be used in conjunction with mapped and digital
data which display important fish, wildlife, and habitat occurrences
statewide. Data can be obtained by calling the PHS Data Request
Line at (360) 902-2543. For more information visit the PHS
Website.
Questions and
requests for additional PHS information may be directed to:
Jeff Azerrad
2108 Grand Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98661
(360)906-6754
|
