North American Waterfowl Managment Plan 2012

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan: 2011/2012 Revision

In 1986 Canada, Mexico and the United States adopted The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP or Plan), launching a new era in wildlife conservation. The Plan has remained a leading model for other international conservation plans. In large measure, this is because it is a living and evolving document and is updated periodically with engagement of the broad waterfowl conservation community.

Why a revision? Why now?

Today we face greater pressures on waterfowl populations and habitat than ever before, including expanding human populations; increasing urbanization; global demands for food, energy and fresh water; and climate change. It is urgent, given these challenges, that waterfowl managers review and re-establish their fundamental conservation goals - something that has not been done in a quarter-century. This is our opportunity to provide the framework for a more coherent waterfowl management system that will enable us to achieve essential conservation goals.

What is the process?
 

In March 2009, the Plan Committee formed the NAWMP Revision Steering Committee to serve as a focal point for gathering, vetting and synthesizing ideas from the waterfowl management community and to advise the Plan Committee on the content of the Plan Revision. The Plan Committee adopted a communiqué outlining the goals and process for the revision. Next, a series of stakeholder workshops were held in the United States and Canada to gain input from the waterfowl management community on the fundamental goals for waterfowl management in the 21st Century. An international Revision Steering Committee then synthesized feedback received at the workshops, and a writing team produced the draft Plan Revision document for review.

The NAWMP revision document is available at: North American Waterfowl Management Plan 2012: People Conserving Waterfowl and Wetlands