In 2006, a new Implementation Plan to guide regional migratory bird conservation was unveiled by the Central Valley Joint Venture partnership. Relative to our initial 1990 plan, which was focused soley on waterfowl, the 2006 Plan was expanded to include other important bird groups. In addition to waterfowl, population or conservation objectives were also developed for shorebirds, waterbirds, and riparian birds. This was a significant step for the partnership, because it expanded the vision and habitats in which conservation delivery was targeted.
The 2006 CVJV Implementation Plan (Plan) was a leap forward relative to past plans in several respects. As mentioned in the previous article, the scope of planning was expanded to incorporate bird groups other than waterfowl. As a result, the Plan became a comprehensive document for migratory bird conservation in the Central Valley and is used extensively as a resource for habitat planning. In addition to adding other bird groups, the waterfowl component of the Plan was also improved considerably. During the 16 years since the 1990 plan was completed, Joint Venture partners had invested heavily in research to evaluate the biological assumptions upon which the waterfowl component of the Plan was based. This investment considerably strengthened the biological foundation of 2006 Plan.
In April, several Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV) partners (along with members of the San Francisco Bay JV and other JVs from around the country) traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with the California Congressional delegation and other congressional representatives regarding funding needs for Joint Ventures and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).
Meetings additionally focused on the importance of fulfilling the Central Valley Project Improvement Act mandate for Level 4 water deliveries for Central Valley Refuges/Wildlife Areas and private wetlands within Merced County. Other topics of interest included the proposed Duck Stamp price increase, Farm Bill conservation programs (WRP and CRP) and the Bay Delta Conservation Program.
In today's Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV), collaboration between hunting and non-hunting groups is taken for granted. CVJV partners, indeed most conservation organizations, no longer question the alliances that have brought so many positive results for birds and habitat. But those relationships did not always exist. Twenty-five years ago the CVJV helped create a model of collaboration for hunting and non-hunting conservation organizations to work together toward the common goal of protecting waterfowl. Their efforts also provided the catalyst for state and federal resource agencies to cooperate far more effectively on bird conservation issues.
One of the early and important efforts of the Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV) was the Cosumnes River Preserve project. This multi-agency, multi-partner project foreshadowed the unique and vital role that the CVJV would come to play in Central Valley habitat protection, enhancement, and restoration efforts.
The Central Valley once contained one of the largest expanses of riparian forest and wetland habitat in North America. Similar to the rest of the unique habitat types that once characterized the Central Valley, they have largely given way to agriculture and urban development.
The California Junior Duck Stamp contest has been a favorite program of the Central Valley Joint Venture partners for many years. It is an exciting program that brings the message of waterfowl and wetlands conservation into the classroom and results in an increased awareness, expressed through art.
