MEETING REPORT – Oct 28, 2015:
Lora Leschner, Partnership Coordinator for Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, mesmerized our group on October 28, 2015, with her global grasp of every facet of conservation concern and her incredible energy. Talk about the right person for the job! She says she sometimes calls herself a behind-the-scenes habitat “broker,” which is about the best description for her job of bringing together lands that need protection or rehabilitation, threatened wildlife and plant/tree species, people who can do the work, and funding sources.
Lora said these Joint Ventures have been around for decades. This particular Habitat Joint Venture is employing some new ideas in the face of less funding. Her Venture taps many funding sources, including Ducks Unlimited, Fish & Wildlife agencies, and land conservancies. It is one of 22 Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (http://mbjv.org/) coast to coast. Apparently funds have been set aside for conservation nationally as mitigation from oil companies and other sources, but actual access to these funds has been stymied. These joint ventures have proved extremely cost-effective, however, working with 5700 partners over their history to enhance, restore, conserve, and protect over 24 million acres of essential habitat. They have leveraged every dollar of federal funds at a ratio of 33-to-1! Wow!
Particular targets for this Joint Venture are coastal wetlands, prairies, and oak woodlands, all of which pertain to Pierce County. What Lora and this Joint Venture provide are offering are partnerships, funding and resources, science-based prioritization, solutions to barriers, and public support. They also make sure that funds which must be matched do find that match. Rare and imperiled species are of prime importance, and focal/surrogate species have been identified for most of them. Grants usually are earmarked for acquisition, restoration, and enhancement, and lately some monitoring. This is something that ABC members can assist with!
Lora finished up with a slide show of beautiful landscapes that have been restored with the help of this Joint Venture, many of which we as birders know well.
Check out the Joint Venture’s great website which has an opportunity to sign up for their newsletters and make contact with them: http://www.pcjv.org/
Click below to enlarge photos. Lora Leschner at ABC on October 28, 2015, and after the meeting having dialog with Joe Tieger and Jerry Broadus.
