Atlantic coast joint venture waterfowl implementation plan

Ownership/Protection:

The Delmarva Peninsula is world renown for its wetlands and coastal estuaries. Wetlands on the peninsula have been designated under the Ramsar Convention and the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network as areas of world importance to some species of shorebirds. Partners in Flight recognize wetlands and associated habitats across the peninsula as critical to neotropical migrants. The Nature Conservancy has identified rare and endangered habitats and species of amphibians, plants and insects. NOAA has established two National Estuarine Research Reserves on the Peninsula and the USFWS owns and manages thousands of acres of wetlands across the peninsula (Delaware Reserve, 2004). A minimum of ten million dollars has been allocated under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on the peninsula and state agencies continue to place top priority on protection of remaining wetlands. Finally, the Delmarva Conservation Corridor was established under the 2002 Farm Bill to establish a network of public and private lands for a variety of purposes including maintaining biodiversity in the region (The Delmarva Conservation Corridor Information Sheet, 2003).

Some of the best breeding and wintering waterfowl habitat in the State of Delaware is found within the Bayshore Focus Area. During the fall and winter hundreds of thousands (e.g. 251,706, January 06, 2004) of waterfowl utilize this area for feeding and resting including significant numbers of Canada Goose, Black Duck, Mallard, Pintail and Snow Goose. Over 80% (200,000) of the Atlantic Flyway’s Snow Goose population winters in this focus area (Delaware Bay, 2004). In addition this area also contains the largest concentration of Northern Shoveler, American Widgeon and Gadwall in the state of Delaware (Waterfowl Surveys in Delaware). This area is also important for the production of American Black Duck, Mallard and Wood Duck.

Located along the eastern coast of Delaware, the Bayshore Focus Area provides some of the most critical habitat (beaches, adjacent marshes and impoundments) for migratory shorebirds. More specifically, the Bayshore Focus Area is a major stopover “refueling” site for up to a million shorebirds during spring migration – including 80% of the Western Hemisphere’s Red Knot population as well as significant numbers of Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and others. In addition, the Bayshore Focus Area has vast expanses of tidal marsh that support critical habitat for marsh-nesting birds like the Black Rail, Clapper Rail and King Rail and Northern Harrier.

The major threats impacting waterfowl in the Bayshore Focus Area include increasing development, decreasing water quality and invasive species proliferation. Vast areas of forest and wetland habitats are being altered to facilitate agriculture and residential development. Water quality has been degraded due to increasing non-point source pollution associated with agricultural production and increase increasing development.

Efforts should focus on protecting, restoring and enhancing wetlands and associated uplands in areas adjacent to protected lands with the goal of forming large contiguous tracts of undisturbed habitat within the Bayshore Focus Area. Public and private partnerships should be developed to utilize existing funding programs and manage development in a responsible manner to maintain populations of wetland dependent migratory birds and biodiversity. Long-term protection should be favored; however, multiple ten-fifteen year agreements for restoration and enhancement will be a primary tool to maintain wildlife populations.

A Directory of Wetlands of International Importance. United States of America 4US011. Retrieved October 8, 2004, from http://www.wetlands.org/RDB/Ramsar_Dir/USA/US011D02.htm

Focus Area: Blackbird Focus Area, Delaware

The Blackbird Bay to Bay Focus Area stretches from the Maryland/Delaware border to the Delaware Bay. It encompasses the Blackbird River watershed, Appoquinimink River watershed and part of the Chester River watershed approximately 36,247 hectares (89,568 acres). Of this land, 44 % is in agricultural use, 27 % is wetland habitat and 12 % is forest habitat. Approximately 4,856 hectares (12,000 acres) of land has been protected at the state level (Blackbird State Forest, Blackiston Wildlife Area, Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area, Augustine Wildlife Area and the C&D Canal Wildlife Area) (Earth Data International of MS, LLC., 2003). The remaining 17% is in some form of residential, commercial or industrial development. Protection and/or restoration of the remaining freshwater tidal and non-tidal wetlands, brackish marshes and associated upland habitat within this portion of the state are critical to wintering waterfowl.