June/July 2008

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SJV partner receives Sky Island Alliance Landowners Stewardship Award
SJV partners Carlos Robles Elias and Martha Felix de Robles, owners of Rancho El Aribabi, recently received the Sky Island Alliance's Landowner Stewardship Award. This award is given to landowners who show exemplary dedication to restoring and protecting the native assemblages of species and natural processes that occur on their land. SJV Education and Outreach Coordinator Jennie Duberstein had the honor of presenting the award to the Robles at SIA's Second Annual People and Places Awards Banquet and Auction in May 2008.

Carlos and Martha are third generation ranchers in Sonora, Mexico. Their property, encompassing portions of the Sierra Azul and Rio Cocóspera, hosts lush riparian areas, grass-lined mountain streams, and intact oak woodlands. Carlos and Martha have a long-term vision for Rancho El Aribabi as a sanctuary and a model for wildlife conservation that will stand as a premier template of alternative land management of alternative land management for other ranches across the region.

Carlos and Martha have been SJV partners since 2004, when they approached the SJV because they were interested in protecting Rancho El Aribabi for birds and other wildlife and promoting it as a birding destination. Since then they have collaborated with the SJV on riparian restoration, hosted several SJV-sponsored workshops and meetings at the ranch, and have worked with the SJV and our partners to conduct biological inventories of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. In 2007, Rancho El Aribabi signed a historic conservation agreement with Sky Island Alliance that promotes the conservation of native wildlife and the restoration of habitat. 

Cameras capturing the first wild ocelot images in the Sky Islands are set up on Rancho El Aribabi and now researchers believe this area may be the northern most breeding population of this elusive small cat.  Not only do Carlos and Martha make their land available for conservation projects and workshops, they are also engaged in helping with outreach to other landowners, recognizing the importance of landscape-level conservation and the interconnectedness of the Sky Island region.  Carlos and Martha are dedicated wildlife enthusiasts whose contributions to regional conservation will be realized long into the future.

Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl May Warrant Protection Under Endangered Species Act
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced recently that the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl maywarrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This decision follows an initial review of a petition seeking to protect the pygmy-owl by adding it to the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife, and commences the beginning of a 12 month status review.

The petition, submitted by Defenders of Wildlife and the Center forBiological Diversity, presents new information on genetics, taxonomic classification and threats that was not available, or was not within the scope of analysis, when the Arizona population of the pygmy-owl was previously listed in 1997 and delisted in 2006. The petition relies largely on a recently proposed scientific reclassification of the pygmy-owl that recognizes the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl subspecies in southern Arizona, and Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico, as distinct, and with a smaller range than was recognized in 1997 for the subspecies. The petitioners seek to list either the entire subspecies, or the Sonoran or the Arizona populations as distinct population segments.

“Recently published genetic and taxonomic information, together with updated data on the threats to the pygmy-owl and its habitat, are substantial. Our initial examination of the information in the petition has prompted us to initiate an assessment of the entire subspecies,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Regional Director Benjamin N. Tuggle, Ph.D. “Any additional information regarding threats to and conservation of the pygmy-owl will be essential to us as we determine whether Endangered Species Act protection is warranted.”

The Service will undertake a more thorough status review of the species to determine whether to propose adding it to the list of threatened and endangered species. To ensure this status review is comprehensive, the Service is soliciting information from state, tribal, and federal natural resource agencies and all interested parties regarding the pygmy-owl and its habitat.

The complete file for this finding is available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the Arizona Ecological Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85021. More information about the pygmy-owl and this finding and the petition are available online.

Anyone wishing to submit information on the pygmy-owl and its habitat may do so by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2008-0070; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.

All information must be submitted by August 1, 2008.

Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve: activities and expeditions
In 2006 the park rangers of the remote Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve, located in southern Baja California Sur, began a monitoring program. This program has since expanded to include an environmental education component. The Reserve has invited students from different schools and communities near the reserve to partiicpate in the program, which strives to increase environmental conscience and teach about the importance of the species that are found in the region.

The Sonoran Joint Venture and the Western Field Ornithologists are jointly coordinating a bird monitoring expedition to Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve from July 13-19, 2008.  The objective of this expedition is to use the collective expertise of WFO members and SJV participants to collect and record natural history data on birds of conservation interest in the Biosphere Reserve. For more information, contact Carol Beardmore.

To learn more about monitoring and education efforts at the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve, contact Victor Anguiano.

SJV 2008 Awards Program recipients announced
The SJV is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2008 Awards Program. This year we received 23 proposals from all over the SJV region (14 from Mexico, 9 from the U.S.) The objective of the Sonoran Joint Venture Awards Program is to support the investigation and conservation of all birds and their habitats within SJV boundaries by providing funds through a competitive program. Proposals for projects that support the SJV mission and objectives are eligible for funding. This includes: habitat management, research, monitoring, education, community involvement, outreach, ecotourism, and training. We are making some modifications to the project for 2009, so please contact Carol Beardmore or visit the SJV website to learn more.

Award winning book
On May 10, 2008 the Arizona Book Publishing Association (ABPA) held their annual Glyph Awards Banquet to announce it's best books of Arizona for 2008. The ABPA selected Condor: Spirit of the Canyon, written by SJV Coordinator Robert Mesta, as "Best Children's Book" in the fiction category. The ABPA also selected Condor: Spirit of the Canyon as a finalist (runner-up) in the Embodying Arizona Category.

The ABPA was founded in 1992 and has a 150 publisher membership. It's mission is to advance and promote successful book publishing in Arizona through education, community involvement, cooperative effort, peer recognition, industry advocacy, and the support of First Amendment rights.

The book can be ordered directly from the author, by visiting local bookstores, or by following this link.

Upcoming grant deadlines
We have recently added information about a number of new funding opportunities for those doing work in the SJV region. Please take the time to browse through the complete list of funding opportunities.

• Kushlan Research Award in Ciconiiform Research and Conservation
  Deadline: 15 July 2008
  Description: The goal of the Kushlan Research Award in Ciconiiform Biology and Conservation is to encourage significant scientific advances in the biology, ecology, or conservation biology of wading birds (i.e. herons, storks, ibises, and their taxonomic allies). These grants are open globally to any student, professional, or amateur. Depending on the scientific merit of the competition, awards will be offered in most years - one or more awards from $1,000 to $7,000 will be made.
• North American Wetlands Conservation Act Program
  Deadline: 1 August 2008 (U.S. Standard Grants); TBA 2008--usually in November (U.S. Small Grants); TBA June 2009 (Mexican Standard Grants)
  Description: The North American Wetlands Conservation Act provides matching grants to private or public organizations or to individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The program provides US, Mexican, and Canadian Standard Grants (between $50,000 and $1,000,000) and US Small Grants (up to $75,000). For more details on how to apply, visit the NAWCA section of the SJV website. And be sure to check out the Playa Lakes Joint Venture's Timeline for preparing a NAWCA Proposal. Important note: Anyone considering applying for a U.S. grant should coordinate their application with SJV Science Coordinator Carol Beardmore (602-242-0524 ext. 248). The SJV will need to be involved not only to provide guidance but also because we rank all applications that are submitted (Mexican applicants do not need to coordinate with the SJV, although we are happy to provide assistance)
• .Wilburforce Foundation
  Deadlines: 29 August 2008
  Description: Wilburforce Foundation is dedicated to protecting nature's richness and diversity through funding programs that help preserve our remaining wild places. We focus our funding on organizations that work to protect habitats that are critically important to sustaining abundant ecological communities in Western Canada and the Western United States.
• The Christensen Fund
  Deadline: 31 August 2008; 31 March 2009
  Description: The Christensen Fund makes grants to organizations that work towards maintaining the rich diversity of the world—biological and cultural—over the long run, including the persistence and adaptation of indigenous systems for managing landscapes that sustain cultural and biological value and diversity.

Upcoming meetings and workshops
See complete details about upcoming meetings and workshops.

• Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative: 22-25 July 2008, Asuncian, Paraguay. Contact: Marina Sansostri Ratchford
• International Course on Avian Movements and Migration Technology: 29 July - 1 August 2008, Newport, Oregon. Contact: Ryan Norris
• AOU, COS, AND SCO Joint Annual Conference: 4-8 August 2008, Portland, Oregon. Website.
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting: 7-12 September 2008.
• Wetlands 2008: Wetlands and Global Climate Change: 16-18 September 2008, Portland, Oregon.