Who We Are

Partnerships for Bird Conservation

Migratory Bird Joint Ventures are cooperative, regional partnerships that work to conserve habitat for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people. Since the North American Waterfowl Management Plan called for our establishment in 1986, Joint Ventures (JVs) have grown to cover nearly all of the U.S. and Canada, and much of Mexico. We are inspired by a shared vision of a North American Landscape where diverse populations of native birds thrive. We believe the well-being of our nations depends upon the health of our landscapes and our wildlife. There are twenty-two habitat-based Joint Ventures, each addressing the bird habitat conservation issues found within their geographic area. In addition, three species-based Joint Ventures, all with an international scope, work to further the scientific understanding needed to effectively manage populations of specific bird species.

Coordination and Structure

Most Joint Venture offices are run through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, although several JVs are operated with support from non-profit conservation partners or are stand-alone NGOs. Each JV has an overall Coordinator (larger JVs may also have individual State Coordinator, in addition), who oversees other technical JV staff.

Each Joint Venture has a Management Board, which is made up of key representatives from the organizations that form the JV partnership. The Management Board provides overall leadership, guidance, resources, and support to partners to ensure that the JV reaches its bird and habitat conservation goals.

Joint Ventures have one or more Technical Committees that serve as advisory groups to the JV and its staff. The primary role of the Technical Committee is to assist the JV in creating strategies, plans, and other guidance to advance the integrity and biological foundation of JVs’ bird conservation planning efforts. Technical committee members include scientists, land managers, biologists, and others with expertise in migratory bird science and conservation. The committee includes individuals from universities, federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

Funding

Joint Venture funding comes from Congressional appropriations, administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Joint Venture partners bring other federal and non-federal dollars to the table to complement Congressional funds. Over the course of our history, Joint Venture partnerships have leveraged every dollar of Congressional funds 31:1 to help conserve 27 million acres of essential habitat for birds and other wildlife.