Atlantic coast joint venture waterfowl implementation plan
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NORTH AMERICAN WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT PLAN ATLANTIC COAST JOINT VENTURE WATERFOWL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN REVISION 
June 2005 
TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1. Administrative boundaries of NAWMP habitat joint ventures in the United States. 10 Figure 1.2. Adminstrative boundaries of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. Original boundary circa 1988 depicted in panel A while current boundary, as of 2001, is depicted in panel B. 11 Figure 1.3. Bird Conservation Regions (BCR) of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. BCR 13 - Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain, BCR 14 – Atlantic Northern Forest, BCR 27 – Southeastern Coastal Plain, BCR 28 – Appalachian Mtns, BCR 29 – Piedmont, BCR 30 – New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast, BCR 31 – Peninsular Florida, BCR 69 – Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (not officially recognized by NABCI) 13 LIST OF TABLES The following document, “Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Waterfowl Implementation Plan Revision” dated June 2005, is fully endorsed and supported by the Management Board of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) is a partnership of federal, regional and state agencies and organizations focused on the conservation of habitat for native bird species in the Atlantic Flyway of the United States from Maine south to Puerto Rico. The joint venture was originally formed as a regional partnership focused on the conservation of waterfowl and wetlands under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) in 1988. This plan is a revision of the original ACJV Implementation plan completed in 1988 that addresses the expanded geographic area and mission of the joint venture as well as the updates to NAWMP. It steps down continental and regional waterfowl population and habitat goals from the NAWMP 2004 Update to the ACJV area, presents habitat conservation goals and population indices for the ACJV consistent with this update, provides current status assessments for waterfowl and their habitats in the joint venture, and updates focus area narratives and maps for each state. The ACJV is strongly committed to conserving the 41 species of native waterfowl occurring in the U.S. portion of the Atlantic Flyway. This document is intended as a blueprint for conserving the valuable breeding, migration and wintering waterfowl habitat present within the ACJV boundary based on the best available information and the expert opinion of waterfowl biologists from throughout the flyway. This revision also provides a great deal of the baseline information necessary for moving forward with a more rigorous approach for setting future habitat goals as additional information becomes available and documents information gaps that have to be addressed before additional progress can be made. This document is divided into eight principal sections that:
Most importantly, this plan identifies 149 focus areas for waterfowl conservation throughout the joint venture. ACJV partners need to conserve, through protection, restoration or enhancement, more than 638,000 ha (>1,577,000 acres) of wetlands and associated uplands over the next five to ten years to meet our commitment to waterfowl populations under the NAWMP. Detailed descriptions of each waterfowl focus area are provided and can be used by existing and potential partners to guide important conservation actions. 1. INTRODUCTION The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), signed in 1986 by the United States and Canada and later by Mexico in 1994, was developed in response to the dramatic declines seen in waterfowl populations during the mid 1980s. NAWMP, the first continental conservation plan of its kind, recognized the need for a coordinated effort to conserve wetlands and waterfowl habitats across North America if waterfowl populations were to be maintained and ultimately restored to higher levels. Specifically, NAWMP set specific population and habitat objectives that coincided with population levels observed during the 1970s; a time frame during which total populations were thought to be adequate for both consumptive and nonconsumptive uses. These goals were to be achieved through the conservation of landscapes coordinated by regional partnerships making decisions based on the best available science. This effort would require protecting, restoring and enhancing millions of hectares of wetlands and uplands in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Therefore, a unique delivery mechanism would be needed since no single government agency or conservation agency could meet these lofty ambitions. NAWMP recognized that the most effective way to deliver habitat conservation for waterfowl across the continent was through self-directed, regionally-based partnerships known as joint ventures. These joint venture partnerships are a means for federal, state, and local governments, national conservation organizations, private individuals or groups, corporations, and other interested parties to pool limited resources to meet the goals set out by NAWMP. Currently, there are 14 habitat Joint Ventures in the United States (Fig. 1.1) and 4 in Canada. Additionally, three species Joint Ventures, Arctic Goose, Black Duck and Sea Duck, have been created to meet the goals and objectives of NAWMP. The original joint ventures were associated with specific “Waterfowl Habitat Areas of Major Concern in the United States and Canada.” Two of the original six habitat joint ventures were the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) including the coastal plain from Maine to South Carolina and the Lower Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Basin Joint Venture (LGL/SLB JV) encompassing the U.S. portion of the lake plains of Lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence River Valley (Fig. 1.2a). Initial priorities for both of these Joint Ventures were predicated primarily on the conservation of the American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). The initial objectives of these two joint ventures were to increase the wintering population index of black ducks to 385,000, an increase of almost 75% over the average index for the 1980s. To reach this goal NAWMP envisioned protecting 10,000 acres of breeding and migration habitat in the LGL/SLB JV and protecting 50,000 acres of migration and wintering habitat in the ACJV. In addition to these protected acres, NAWMP suggested increasing the wintering carrying capacity by 25% of land already managed for waterfowl in the eastern United States. The Category Plan for Preservation of Black Duck Wintering Habitat, Atlantic Coast (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1988) identified specific areas and habitat protection goals for wintering black ducks in the 13 Atlantic Coast states from Maine to South Carolina. The original Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Plan (Atlantic Coast Joint Venture 1988) built upon this plan, refined wintering areas, and added information on breeding areas and adjacent upland areas. Based on this process, the original ACJV goals were to protect, manage or enhance approximately 355,775 ha (879,138 
Figure 1.1. Administrative boundaries of NAWMP habitat joint ventures in the United States. 
Figure 1.2. Adminstrative boundaries of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. Original boundary circa 1988 depicted in panel A while current boundary, as of 2001, is depicted in panel B. acres) of wetland and upland buffer habitats and to improve or enhance an additional 67,169 ha (165,977 acres) of wetland habitats on federal and state-owned lands. In 1996, the Lower Great - Lakes St. Lawrence Basin Joint Venture was dissolved with the eastern part added to the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. In addition, Georgia (1994), West Virginia (1996), Florida (1997), and Puerto Rico (2001) all became partners in the ACJV resulting in a joint venture boundary that matches the U.S. portion of the Atlantic Flyway boundary (Fig. 1.2b). The objectives for the ACJV (reflected in the 1998 NAWMP Update) increased to protection of 382,429 ha (945,000 acres), restoration of 35,633 ha (88,050 acres) and enhancement of an additional 49,267 ha (121,740 acres) of waterfowl habitat.
Figure 1.3. Bird Conservation Regions (BCR) of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. BCR 13 - Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain, BCR 14 – Atlantic Northern Forest, BCR 27 – Southeastern Coastal Plain, BCR 28 – Appalachian Mtns, BCR 29 – Piedmont, BCR 30 – New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast, BCR 31 – Peninsular Florida, BCR 69 – Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (not officially recognized by NABCI) 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ATLANTIC COAST JOINT VENTURE AREA 2.1 Overall description The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture area comprises the 17 states in the Atlantic Flyway of the United States as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This joint venture includes a total area of 114,526,200 hectares (283 million acres, 442,000 square miles) representing 12% of the total area of the United States plus Puerto Rico. It is the most densely populated region in the U.S. with a total of over 105 million people living in the area – about 38% of the conterminous U.S. population (based on 2000 census data). There is a tremendous diversity of ecosystems and habitats in the joint venture area from the boreal forests and rocky coastline at the northern reaches of the joint venture in Maine to the tropical mangrove swamps and coral reefs of Florida and Puerto Rico to the south and from the rugged peaks of the Appalachian Mountains in the west to the low-lying Atlantic Coastal Plain with its many coastal rivers, bays and estuaries forming the joint venture’s eastern boundary. The Atlantic Ocean coastline extends for 2,069 miles from Maine to Florida with a combined shoreline of all tidal areas along the coast adding up to 28,673 miles. The land area within the joint venture boundary is dominated by the eastern deciduous forest that is much reduced from its historical extent but still accounts for nearly 30% of the total land cover; all forest types combined account for over half of the land cover. About a fifth of the total joint venture is in agriculture, predominantly pasture and hay. Wetlands and open water together also account for about a fifth of the total area. Although only about 5% of the total land use is classified as urban and residential, this classification greatly underestimates the extent of urban and suburban sprawl and resulting habitat fragmentation. Land use/land cover percentages in the Joint Venture are summarized in Table 2.1 and shown in Figure 2.1. The variety of habitats in the joint venture supports a high abundance and diversity of bird species including 38 native species of waterfowl (Table 2.2), 40 species of shorebirds, 88 species of waterbirds (including pelagic species) and approximately 200 landbird species. 2.2 Waterfowl Habitat The ACJV encompasses a tremendous diversity of wetland and upland habitat types and, thus, supports a diverse group of wildlife including migratory birds such as waterfowl, shorebirds, colonial waterbirds, and neotropical migrants, threatened and endangered species, anadromous fishes, and non-migratory wildlife. A majority of migratory waterfowl wintering within the ACJV are located within a narrow band along the coast encompassing tidal freshwater, estuarine, and nearshore marine habitats. The ACJV contains 40% of the coastal marshes in the conterminous U.S. with three-quarters of these located south of Maryland in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia (Chabreck 1988). Large inland lakes and artificial reservoirs are used as feeding and resting areas especially in the south Atlantic states where they rarely freeze during the winter. Although coastal marshes are less extensive in the north Atlantic states of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, they still provide valuable wintering habitat since most inland wetlands in this area freeze during the winter. For example, estuarine habitats of coastal Maine are important to wintering waterfowl, especially Black Ducks, Common Eiders, and scoters where large tidal amplitudes and sheltered bays provide relatively Table 2.1. Land Use/Land Cover of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture area as determined by National Land Cover Data (NLCD, 1993), categories slightly modified for this table.
Figure 2.1. Land Use / Land Cover in the mainland portion of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture based on USGS National Land. 
Table 2.2. Native waterfowl species found within the administrative boundary of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. Species occurrence is indicated in last two columns; nonbreeding season includes migration.
1 – Within the ACJV these species only occur in Puerto Rico. 2 – Species listed as Critically Endangered in Puerto Rico 3 – Species listed as Endangered in Puerto Rico Table 2.2 (cont.). Native waterfowl species found within the administrative boundary of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. Species occurrence is indicated in last two columns; nonbreeding season includes migration.
1 – Within the ACJV these species only occur in Puerto Rico. 2 – Species listed as Critically Endangered in Puerto Rico 3 – Species listed as Endangered in Puerto Rico ice-free areas for feeding and loafing. These areas also provide extensive mudflats used by migrating shorebirds. In addition to valuable wintering and migration habitat, the north Atlantic states, primarily Maine, provide valuable breeding habitat for American Black Ducks along isolated beaver flowages in the boreal forest and Common Eiders along the rocky coasts and the numerous offshore islands. Major estuaries of southern New England and New York, including Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay, the Peconic Bays, Long Island Sound, and New York and New Jersey Harbor provide sheltered open water that is important for wintering sea ducks and bay ducks such as scoters and scaup as well as fringing saltmarshes and mudflats important for dabbling ducks such as Mallard (Jorde et al. 1989). The barrier beaches, backbarrier coastal lagoons and coastal salt marshes of Long Island and New Jersey provide wintering habitat for a number of waterfowl species, including Black Ducks and Brant, and provide valuable migration habitat for shorebirds and other waterfowl. Interior lowland habitats in New York, Pennsylvania and New England, particularly lake plains and river valleys such as Lake Champlain, the Finger Lakes, lower Great Lakes, and the Hudson, St. Lawrence, and Niagara and Connecticut Rivers provide important breeding habitat for Mallard and other dabbling ducks. The lower Great Lakes provide important wintering and migration habitat for greater and lesser scaup, goldeneye and a diversity of other waterfowl. Extensive farm fields provide Canada geese, snow geese and other waterfowl an abundance of waste grain. The Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, contain numerous forested wetland and riparian habitats, often enhanced by beaver that provide important breeding habitats for wood ducks, mallards and black ducks. Although West Virginia has only a limited amount of wetlands it still provides important waterfowl habitat. Large agricultural river valleys, particularly the Ohio on the states western border and the Potomac in the eastern panhandle, provide important migration habitat for a large variety of waterfowl species and winter fair numbers of mallards and black ducks. SJBP Canada geese migrate through and winter in the Ohio valley. Wood ducks breed at moderate densities throughout the state. The mid-Atlantic states of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina provide some of the most important and extensive migration and wintering habitat along the Atlantic coast. As much as 40% of the wintering waterfowl along the Atlantic Coast are found in the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia and Maryland and Currituck-Albermarle-Pamlico Sound region of North Carolina (Hindman and Stotts 1989). The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the conterminous U.S, watershed drains approximately 165,760 km2 (64,000 mi2) of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, with the bay covering approximately 11,500 km2 (4,440 mi2; Hindman and Stotts 1989). Habitats within this region range from freshwater flooded forested wetlands of the interior to salt estuarine bays near the mouth of the Chesapeake and Currituck-Albemarle-Pamlico Sound (Hindman and Stotts 1989). Agricultural fields and pastureland surround the bay in both Maryland and Virginia providing extensive habitat for Canada geese. Waterfowl important to the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding estuarine habitats include black ducks, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, Canvasbacks, and scaup. Natural lakes and reservoirs increase in importance in the south Atlantic Flyway because they rarely freeze during the winter, although they are not used as extensively as the coastal areas. Important lakes of the mid-Atlantic reside mainly in North Carolina and include Lake Mattamuskeet, Pungo, Phelps, and Alligator Lake (Johnson and Montalbano 1989). The southern portion of the U.S. Atlantic Flyway also is comprised of a diversity of wetland types providing important habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wetland-associated migratory birds. Habitats are diverse along the south Atlantic Coast ranging from natural and artificial lakes and reservoirs, flooded bottomland hardwoods, and Carolina bays to extensive stands of smooth cordgrass in the low salt marsh of South Carolina and Georgia. Although the majority of the waterfowl using the south Atlantic Flyway use the coastal zone (Gordon et al. 1989), inland natural and artificial freshwater lakes and reservoirs become important areas for resting and feeding (Johnson and Montalbano 1989). In the coastal zone, more than 32,000 ha of coastal impoundments provide important habitat for waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds (Gordon et al. 1989). Dabbling ducks show a preference for these managed wetlands over non-managed wetlands, and these wetlands are critical for maintaining waterfowl populations, particularly in highly altered landscapes (Gordon et al. 1998). The majority of the coastal zone of South Carolina and Georgia is classified as salt marsh, but contains approximately 28% of the tidal freshwater marsh found along the Atlantic Coast (Gordon et al. 1989). Waterfowl and migratory bird use of the south Atlantic Flyway is extensive but concentrated in the coastal areas of South Carolina and lakes of Florida. South Carolina winters approximately 30% of the dabbling ducks in the Atlantic Flyway including large concentrations of Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, and Northern Pintails (Gordon et al. 1989). Canada geese and diving ducks use the coast of South Carolina but are present in relatively low numbers. Georgia winters approximately 2% of the dabbling ducks and 3% of the divers in the Atlantic Flyway (Gordon et al. 1989). In Florida, the Upper Everglades, Orange Creek, and Ocklawaha basins provide significant inland wetlands, supporting large numbers of Ring-necked Ducks and Blue-winged Teal. These areas are also extremely important for Mottled Duck. In the immediate coastal zone, the St. John’s and Indian River basins provide some of the best habitat for waterfowl in the state, typically wintering over 400,000 ducks. The freshwater lakes of Florida provide good wintering habitat for a number of waterfowl including Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon, and Blue-winged Teal. Although not extensively used by large numbers of waterfowl, the Gulf Coast of Florida, especially in the Big Bend region, provides important habitat for Redheads and Lesser Scaup. Puerto Rico, the smallest (8,802 km2, 3,398 mi2) and eastern most of the Greater Antilles, lies within the subtropical latitudinal region, and contains six life zones (Ewel and Whitmore 1973). Throughout the coastal zone, historically there were many wetlands and marshes that sustained most of the native and migratory waterfowl. However, during the 1940s and 1950s many of these habitats, such as Guánica and Anegado Lagoon’s, in the southwest, and Humacao lagoons in the east, were drained and used for agricultural purposes. As a result of these agricultural practices, man-made ponds were constructed for irrigation purposes. These man made ponds were deep enough to benefit waterfowl species such as ruddy ducks, and other divers. Today, some of these ponds, mainly those in the south of the island, are critical habitat for the Ruddy duck, an endangered species in Puerto Rico, as well as many other migrant species. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
