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Migratory Bird & Wetlands NewsLink is a bi-monthly news service. Submissions are encouraged and any international news is welcome. Let me know of colleagues that might like to receive this e-mail and I will gladly include them. [Plain text format is available as well - just pop me back a note and I will be sure to send you the alternative format [http://birdsandwetlands.com/subscribe.html]

CONTENTS:

– Note from the Editor
– News from Friends
– Wetlands News – in the News – from Around the Globe
– Migratory Bird News
– Wetlands Publications & Resources
– Migratory Bird & Wetland Grants
– International Calendar of Events (The year 2003 & beyond)

Last month a special meeting took place in Puyehue,

Chile

: The Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Conference. For the first time in over 40 years, fish and wildlife agency officials from 25 countries, as well as other conservation stakeholders came together to tackle needs and priorities. The details are outlined below under “News from Friends.” This was a powerful meeting because it shows promise for achieving conservation aspirations for migratory species in the coming years.

Best wishes.

Papers Invited for Special Session: Wetland Conservation Policy: Examples and Progress on the World Scene for the INTECOL VII International Wetlands Conference [July 25-30, 2004, the

Netherlands

]

Colleagues with experience in guiding and implementing policy initiatives (particularly where the Ramsar Guidelines have been used) are invited to contribute a paper for this special session. A maximum of 10 papers will be accepted and edited for publication. For any questions contact the session organizer, Clayton Rubec of

Canada

. Abstracts need to be submitted through the conference website: http://www.bio.uu.nl/intecol/index2.php E-mail: clay.rubec@ec.gc.ca . Tel (819) 953-0485.

Malaysia Hosts Celebration for its First Site in the East Asian-Australasian Shorebird Site Network

The Kapar Ash Ponds Dedication Ceremony took place October 10^th.To learn more go to: http://www.wetlands.org/IWC/awc/waterbirdstrategy/NewsItems/CeremonyKapar.htm

Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Conference Held in Termas de Puyehue,

Chile

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of State hosted a conference that for the first time in more than four decades brought together representatives of the fish and wildlife agencies from 25 countries in the Western Hemisphere including NGO’s and wildlife conservation stakeholders. Collectively this group came up with: 1) a list of conservation needs requiring international collaboration; (2) a matrix of tools addressing these needs provided by NGO’s, conventions, and government bodies and (3) of an interim forum to take forward the priorities and momentum from the Conference. The conference country representatives unanimously elected Herb Raffaele, Division of International Conservation Chief for US Fish & Wildlife Service, to chair the interim committee. For the full report go to: http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/r9/6C8C4D8A-A000-4E5D-84A0641A4F0C5B89.html

Ramsar News

Each year Ramsar celebrates World Wetlands Day on February 2. The theme this year is “From the Mountains to the Sea – Wetlands at Work for us.” New materials for 2004 include a poster, a 3-fold leaflet "Working for Wetlands", and a sticker. To view these materials go to: http://www.ramsar.org/wwd2004_launch.htm

Uganda

has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to host the 9^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP9) in Kampala in late 2005. The offer represents the first time that the global Convention on Wetlands has come to Africa for its triennial meeting of its Parties, now numbering 138 countries. For the full article go to: http://www.birdlife.net/news/news/2003/11/uganda.html

Ramsar Country & Site News

– The Republic of Equatorial Guinea joins Ramsar
–

Australia

names its 64^th Ramsar site "NSW Central Murray State Forests”
–

Madagascar

named its 3^rd site
– Kingdom of Nepal added 3 more sites
– The Republic of Moldova designated its 2^nd site, Lower Dniester (Nistru de Jos)
–

Panama

designated its 4^th Wetland of International Importance, the Bahía de Panamá
– The Government of

Peru

named two High Andean wetlands in Arequipa: Bofedales y Laguna de Salinas and Laguna del Indio - Dique de los Españoles

WETLAND NEWS – IN THE NEWS – FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
(by most recent date)

November 4, 2003, Associated Press, by Peter Enav, Jerusalem – The Dead Sea is dying, and only a major engineering effort can save it,

Israel

's Minister of the Environment said Monday. The Dead Sea gets its name from its heavy salt content because no aquatic creatures can live in it. Now there's a new "death threat." The Dead Sea is drying up and disappearing. A five-year drought has added to the woes of Dead Sea, which occupies the lowest point on Earth, 1,320 feet below sea level. The Israeli study said that without an intensive engineering effort, the sea's water level will continue to recede by as much as three feet per year. For the full story go to: http://www.enn.com/news/2003-11-04/s_10060.asp

Ministers to Sign New Environmental Treaty on Protecting the Caspian Sea

November 3, 2003, Tehran – Ministers from

Azerbaijan

Iran

Kazakhstan

, the

Russian Federation

, and

Turkmenistan

are meeting here today and tomorrow to adopt and sign the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea. For the full story go to: http://mirror.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=349&ArticleID=4271&l=en

October 31, 2003, BBC UK Edition – The plan to create 5,000 hectares of new wetlands was unveiled by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The proposed wetlands, stretching from Lincoln to Cambridge, would be equal to the size of Loch Ness. The RSPB hopes it will provide a lifeline for

England

's vanishing species. The scheme aims to build on the RSPB's work on fen projects in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The fens once covered 5,000 square kilometers in

East Anglia

. For the full article go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/3229049.stm

October 30, 2004, Capitol Reports, Washington – recently observed change in Arctic temperatures and sea ice cover may be a harbinger of global climate changes to come, according to a recent NASA study. Satellite data -- the unique view from space -- are allowing researchers to more clearly see Arctic changes and develop an improved understanding of the possible effect on climate worldwide. For the full story go to: http://www.caprep.com/1003068.htm

October 30, 2003, WWF Newsroom,

Ukraine

– The removal of more than 6km of dikes on Tataru Island in the Danube Delta starts with restoring the natural flooding regime of this part of the Danube River. The bulldozers symbolize a new future for the island, which is the first model site of the “A Vision for the Ukrainian Danube Delta” project, supported by WWF. The dikes were constructed across and around Tataru Island more than ten years ago, in order to drain around half the 738ha island for forestry and horticulture. For the full article go to: http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/other_news/news.cfm?uNewsID=9463

October 29, 2003, Envirolink, BBC News Online, by Alex Kirby – An ambitious plan to try to restore to health part of the shrinking Aral Sea has been mounted by

Kazakhstan

. It involves building a massive dam to separate for ever the two distinct parts into which the sea has now split. But the project has a serious downside: if it succeeds, it means the virtual abandonment of any hope of restoring the sea's far bigger southern section. The Aral, once the world's fourth biggest inland sea, has halved in depth and lost 90% of its volume in 40 years. For the full article go to: http://www.envirolink.org/external.html?www=http%3A//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3218961.stm&itemid=200310291353080.171431

October 9, 2003, OneWorld.net – Large parts of Sindh were traditionally covered in thick mangrove forests. These have, over time, been depleted by almost 85%. Now, a three-year conservation and plantation drive aims to restore the balance. WWF and Shell,

Pakistan

, have initiated a mangrove conservation programme. Of the eight species of mangrove forests, only one survives. The destruction of mangrove forests has sounded the death-knell for fish species such as tiger shrimp, palla fish and dangri. For the full story go to: http://www.infochangeindia.org/EnvironmentItop.jsp?section_idv=6#2552

August, 2003, BBC, by Alex Kirby – Water is running short, with some areas experiencing a fall of several metres in groundwater levels. The government has now banned the draining of wetlands and the logging of forested watersheds. And up to a million people may be moved from their homes as the wetland restoration programme gathers pace. For the full article go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3123575.stm

Korea

's DMZ: The Thin Green Line

August, 2003, CNN, by Nick Easen –The Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ as it is more popularly known is now one of the few untouched havens for Northeast Asia's wildlife. Some say the only threat to its survival is peace. The zone was established at the end of the three-year Korean War in 1953 and while intensive agriculture and industrialization has ravaged both the North and South since, tight security measures have left the environment in the DMZ largely undisturbed for the last 50 years. As a result, the ribbon of untouched land along the 38th parallel has now become an important refuge for two of the world's most endangered birds: the white-naped and the red-crowned crane. For the full news go to: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/08/22/korea.bio.dmz/index.html

WHSRN, (Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network) based out of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, welcomes Charles Duncan. Most recently Charles was Director of the Gulf Wings project, in the Migratory Bird Program of the Nature Conservancy. To learn more go to: http://www.manomet.org/WHSRN/whsrnews.htm

October 24, 2003, Environment News Service, Washington, DC – Some 46 million birdwatchers across the United States spent $32 billion in 2001, according to a new report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The report "Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis" is the first of its kind analyzing data from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

The European Commission Gave Austria and Portugal a Final Warning Yesterday Over Their Failure to Restrict the Hunting of Wild Birds and Preserve Their Habitats

October 22, 2003, Brussels – The European Union's executive said Austria, which joined the EU in 1995, had failed to write long-standing European rules protecting birdlife into regional law, leaving rare species under threat of hunting and habitat destruction. Portugal was endangering a nature reserve in the south of the country with irrigation works for a major dam project, the Commission said. Portugal's Campo Maior wetlands are a wintering area for migrating cranes as well as for Great and Little Bustards from the Russian steppes. Both countries could be taken to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg if they do not comply with the Commission's demands. For more of the story go to: http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=22608&newsdate=22-Oct-2003

Rare Sighting: Ranchers and Farmers Join Efforts to Save a Bird

October 29, 2003, The Christian Science Monitor, by Todd Wilkinson, Limon, Colorado – biologist Morgan asked a smattering of farmers to consider an unusual proposition: identify, and then acknowledge that endangered mountain plovers nest on their land. "Property owners recognized they were taking a gamble, but they also knew the best way to prevent the listing of plovers is to voluntarily get involved with conserving them," notes Mr. Morgan, a specialist with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Flow – The Essentials of Environmental Flows
Edited by Megan Dyson, Ger Bergkamp & John Scanlon. 2003, IUCN, Water and Nature Initiative
An environmental flow is the water regime provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing water uses and where flows are regulated. Pioneering efforts in South Africa, Australia and the United States have shown that the process to establish them poses great challenges. Second in the series of the Water & Nature Initiative, this guide draws extensively on the experiences in these countries to offer hands-on advice and practical guidance on technical issues for this emerging issue on the water resource agenda. $30.00 USD or 30 Euros. To go to the IUCN bookstore to place an order click here: http://www.iucn.org/bookstore/

A Pantanal GIS Project Standardizes Technical Methods & Formats
The Pantanal, a vast floodplain encompassing some 37 million acres, is considered the world’s largest continuous freshwater wetland. With no comprehensive conservation plan for the Pantanal that seeks to balance protection of the local fauna and flora with economic development, this GIS Database project is helping conservationists, managers and decision makers in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay to exchange, share, and access information. To download the Pilot Project report, view the map server and the metadata, or to find out more about the Pantanal GIS Database please visit the Latin American and Caribbean web page of Ducks Unlimited: http://www.ducks.org/conservation/latinamerica_projects.asp

Rehabilitating Nature: a Comparative Review of Legal Mechanisms that Encourage Wetland Restoration Efforts
By Professor Roy Gardner of Stetson University College of Law, this paper outlines the legal aspects of wetland restoration (especially in the Ramsar context.). This paper is now available on line in a 2.1 MB file and requires Acrobat PDF Reader: http://www.ramsar.org/strp_rest_incentives_gardner.pdf Catholic University Law Review (Washington, D.C., USA), Vol. 52, no. 3 (spring 2003), pages 573-620.

Wetlands and Agriculture
This 112 page softcover book, published by International Scientific Publications and The National Institute of Ecology in New Delh, was developed out of a number of papers presented at Ramsar’s COP8 meeting. The workshop was entitled “Agriculture, Wetlands, and Water Resources.” The book is edited by Rachel Wiseman, Doug Taylor, and Henk Zingstra. Contact Henk for more information: henk.zingstra@wur.nl

November 28 Deadline
for NAWCA [North American Wetlands Conservation Act] Small Grants in Wetlands Acquisition, Creation, Enhancement, and/or Restoration

NAWCA Small Grants seeks to encourage participation by new grantees and partners who may not otherwise be able to compete in the Standard Grants program. Grant proposals for wetland conservation activities must not be greater than $50,000. Participation in the Small Grants program could be a first step for new grantees to participate in the Standard Grants program. For further grant information go to: http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/NAWCA/USsmallgrants.html

January 16, 2004 Deadline
for The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grants

Project proposals must demonstrate how a conservation partnership's activities will foster sustainable, effective, long-term programs to conserve neotropical migratory birds. For every $1 received in grant funds, the applicant must commit $3. Proposals are now being accepted for the 2004 program. Application instructions are posted on the web site: http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/NMBCA/eng_neo.htm (click on “Grant Application” to the left). Applications must be sent electronically by January 16, 2004. For more information, contact the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation at (703) 358-1784 or e-mail: neotropical@fws.gov.

NOVEMBER

15 – 18 November
Wildlife Habitat Council, 15^th Anniversary Symposium, Baltimore, MD, USA. For further details go to: http://www.wildlifehc.org

12 – 16 January
30^thMeeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee, Gland, Switzerland. For more information contact: Dwight Peck, Executive Assistant for Communications; tel: +41-22-999-0170; fax: +41-22-999-0169; e-mail: peck@ramsar.org; web site: http://ramsar.org/meetings.htm

World Wetland Day!! Theme: From the Mountains to the Sea: Wetlands at Work for Us
For more details go to: http://ramsar.org/wwd2004_prelim.htm

23 – 26 February
The Mangrove Forest Ecology Management and Restoration Course, Anne Colb Nature Center, West Lake Park, Hollywood, Florida. For further information go to: http://www.mangroverestoration.com/

MARCH 2004

New
17 – 21 March
69^th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, Doubletree Hotel Spokane City Center, Spokane, Washington. For more details go to: http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/pages/main.html

3 – 8 April
Global Waterbird Flyway Conference, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. A global review of the conservation, management and research of the world’s major flyways. This is a Wetlands International conference jointly hosted by The Netherlands (Ministry of Agriculture - Nature Management and Fisheries, Department for Nature Management) and The United Kingdom (DEFRA, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Scottish Heritage, English Nature.) For more information go to the web site: http://www.wetlands.org/GFC/Info.htm or contact: Dr. Gerard C. Boere, E-mail: boere@wetlands.agro.nl

15 – 18 April
4th Black Stork International Conference, Dávod-Püspökpuszta, Hungary. For the full announcement go to: http://ciconianigra.tripod.com/IBSC2004/IBSC2004index.html

21 – 24 April
Wilson Ornithological Society will hold its 86th Annual Meeting jointly with the Association of Field Ornithologists and the Eastern Bird Banding Association, Bowie, Maryland. (No meeting web site yet.)

2 – 6 May
4^th World Fisheries Conference, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
The Congress theme, Reconciling Fisheries with Conservation: The Challenge of Managing Aquatic Ecosystems. For more information go to: http://www.worldfisheries2004.org/home.htm

New
8 May
International Migratory Bird Day This year’s theme “Birds of a feather… nesting together” E-mail: IMBD@fws.gov or call (703) 358-2318

11-14 July
Watershed 2004, Hyatt Regency Dearborn, MI. Every two years, the Water Environment Federation WATERSHED conference brings together environmental professionals from around the world. It will explore the challenges of managing the world's watersheds and highlight the unique issues of the Conference's host region, North America's Great Lakes Basin. http://www.wef.org/Conferences/.

New
18 – 24 July
Society for Wetland Scientists 25th Annual Meeting, Seattle Washington. [web site not yet available.] Go to their main page for the eventual link: http://www.sws.org/

25 - 30 July
7th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, Utrecht, The

Netherlands

. For more information contact: Jos Verhoeven, e-mail: j.t.a.verhoeven@bio.uu.nl

Exact date not yet known
American Ornithologists' Union (123rd Meeting), Santa Barbara, California, hosted by the University of California at Santa Barbara. (No meeting web site yet.)

13 – 17 September
94th International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

17 – 25 November 2004
3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress, Bangkok,

Thailand

, under the theme "People and Nature, Making the Difference". For a brochure in PDF format go to: http://www.iucn.org/about/wcc/wcc.pdf

MARCH 2005

New
16 -20 March
North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, Crystal Gateway Marriott, Crystal City, Virginia. For more details go to: http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/pages/main.html

JULY 2005

New
[exact dates forthcoming]
19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, Conservation biology capacitation and practice in a globalized world, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília,

Brazil

, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.

New
Late 2005 [yet to be determined]
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will host the 9^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP9) in Kampala,

Uganda

AUGUST 2006
New
6 – 11 August
Ecological Society of America will hold its 91st annual meeting in Memphis, Tennessee.

New
[exact date not yet known]
5th North American Ornithological Conference. The American Ornithologists' Union, CIPAMEX, Cooper Ornithological Society, and Wilson Ornithological Society (and probably other organizations) will meet jointly. Tentative concept: Veracruz,

Mexico

, timed to match raptor migration.