January 2010

En Español

Web version

SJV 2010 Awards Program Request for Proposals
The official Request For Proposals for the 2010 SJV Awards Program is now available online. 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 improvement, bird monitoring and research, outreach and education, community involvement, and training projects. SJV Awards generally range from $1,000-$10,000, with an average of $5,000.

Please visit the grants section of the SJV website to download the application cover sheet, proposal requirements, and other important information for preparing your proposal. All proposals must be emailed to both Robert Mesta and Carol Beardmore. The deadline to submit a proposal for the 2010 funding cycle is 1 February 2010.

SJV partners' work highlighted in TV Azteca report
In fall 2009 reporters from TV Azteca interviewed staff from SJV partner Pronatura Noroeste about their work to protect and restore habitat in the Ciénega de Santa Clara. Pronatura's Water and Wetlands Program (directed by Dr. Osvel Hinojosa Huerta) has led efforts to establish private reserves for the conservation in perpetuity of this important ecosystem. The program has also worked to restore 450 acres of the Colorado River through concessions established with CONAGUA in the Federal Zone. Pronatura Noroeste and other partners have also gained the designation of the riparian corridor of the Colorado River as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Watch the report here.

Brown Pelican removed from Endangered Species List
On November 11, 2009, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton announced that the Brown Pelican, a species once decimated by the pesticide DDT, has recovered and is being removed from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

The brown pelican was first declared endangered in 1970 under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, a precursor to the current Endangered Species Act. Since then, thanks to a ban on DDT and efforts by states, conservation organizations, private citizens and many other partners, the bird has recovered. There are now more than 650,000 brown pelicans found across Florida and the Gulf and Pacific Coasts, as well as in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has developed a Post-Delisting Monitoring Plan, designed to monitor and verify that the recovered, delisted population remains secure from the risk of extinction once the protections of the ESA are removed. The Service can relist the brown pelican if future monitoring or other information shows it is necessary to prevent a significant risk to the brown pelican. The monitoring will be done in cooperation with the State resource agencies, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and individuals.

Reforestation and water harvesting in the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve, Baja California Sur
In July 2007 Pronatura Mexico (at the national level) signed an agreement with the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) and Coca-Cola to undertake actions to support the recuperation of priority forests which supply water to the principal cities in the country. One of the goals of this agreement was the reforestation of 25,000 ha of forest throughout the country of Mexico over the course of 5 years. In February 2008 Pronatura and the National Natural Protected Areas Commission (CONANP) signed an agreement to implement this work in 12 protected areas in 11 states throughout the country. In Baja California Sur they selected the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve in which to undertake management and soil conservation activities, as well as reforestation and water capture. The goal over the next five years is to contribute to the reforestation of 1,485 ha in recuperation sub-zones within the Reserve.

In the two years of joint work with CONAFOR and CONANP, project partners have: collected seeds for planting of 20 different native species; established a greenhouse to grow native plants; reforested 92 ha with more than 85,000 native plants; establishment of perimeter fences to exclude cattle; undertook soil conservation projects on 434 ha to eliminate erosion and promote water harvesting by constructing mechanisms to halt gully creation and building rock gabions. All of these efforts have been undertaken by residents of Ejido San Simón and the regions of Santa Gertrudis and San Antonio de la Sierra.

These efforts have helped to protect the tropical deciduous forest and pine-oak forest of this zone from pressure brought on by grazing and invasive plants. Project partners, who will be contributing to reforestation efforts at a national level, hope to meet their current goals by 2010.

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.

• Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants
  Deadline: 11 February 2010
  Description: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is accepting applications for the Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program, which seeks to fund community-based wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects throughout the U.S. The Five Star Restoration Program provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. The program provides challenge grants, technical support and opportunities for information exchange to enable community-based restoration projects. A collaborative partnership of the NFWF, the National Association of Counties, the Wildlife Habitat Council, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and corporate partners the Southern Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company has made this opportunity possible. Accordingly, the partnership seeks applicants who work within a diverse collaboration of partners on their proposed projects. Grants range from $10,000 to $40,000 and are available for both non-profit organizations and government entities.

• The Christensen Fund
  Deadline: 31 March 2010; 31 August 2010
  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.

• North American Wetlands Conservation Act Program
  Deadline: 5 March 2010 and 30 July 2010 (U.S. Standard Grants); 28 October 2010 (U.S. Small Grants); 2 June 2010 (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. 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).

• Captain Planet Foundation
  Deadline: 31 March 2010; 30 June 2010; 30 September 2010; 31 December 2010
  Description: The Captain Planet Foundation will fund projects that promote understanding of environmental issues, focus on hands-on involvement, involve children and young adults 6-18 (elementary through high school), promote interaction and cooperation within the group, help young people develop planning and problem solving skills, include adult supervision, commit to follow-up communications with the Foundation. The Foundation only funds projects to organizations or sponsoring agencies that are exempt from federal taxation under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501. Grants typically range from $250-$2500 USD. In an effort to conserve paper the Captain Planet Foundation requires grant applicants to apply for funding using the online application form. Should you have any questions regarding the grant application or the small grants program, please contact Taryn Murphy, CPF's program director.

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

COS/AOU/SCO 2010 JOINT MEETING: 7-11 February 2010, San Diego, California.

37th ANNUAL PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP MEETING: 17-20 February 2010, Long Beach, California.