Tag: Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network

Scaling Oak and Prairie Conservation from Local to Regional Success

Written by Elva Manquera on July 25, 2025. Posted in Klamath Call Note.

Executive Summary

The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON) is leading a model conservation effort to protect and restore oak ecosystems in southern Oregon and northern California. Through its Strategic Conservation Action Plan, KSON is addressing threats including conifer encroachment, fire exclusion, and habitat loss with science-based, collaborative strategies grounded in Traditional Ecological Knowledge. With past and current investments of $22 million, their work is on track to restore over 10,350 acres by 2030.

Building on this local success, the Prairie, Oaks, and People Investment Strategy coordinates nine partnership initiatives across the Pacific Northwest. This regional strategy, led by the Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance, aims to protect and restore over 70,000 additional acres, further the recovery of Tipping Point species like the Lewis’s Woodpecker and Oregon Vesper Sparrow, and strengthen Tribal and rural community leadership. Together, KSON’s local leadership and the regional investment strategy represent a scalable, shovel-ready blueprint for oak and prairie conservation.

This tiered approach—local action scaling to regional impact—was recently recognized nationally in the 2025 State of the Birds Report. The report highlights the Prairie, Oaks, and People partnerships, including KSON, as a leading example of how targeted, science-driven conservation can reverse the steep declines facing grassland and oak woodland birds.

Now is the time to build on this momentum. Bold investment, sustained collaboration, and strategic scaling of proven models, such as KSON’s, can secure a future where oak and prairie ecosystems—and the communities and species that depend on them—thrive once again.

Building from Local to Regional Success: How Oak and Prairie Conservation in the Klamath-Siskiyou is Scaling Up Across the Pacific Northwest

The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON) is a long-standing partnership working to conserve oak ecosystems in southern Oregon and northern California—a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. KSON’s 2020 Strategic Conservation Action Plan outlines a 30-year vision to restore four distinct oak habitat types: oak savanna, oak woodland, oak chaparral, and oak-conifer forests.

KSON’s plan identifies the primary threats degrading these ecosystems—conifer encroachment, fire exclusion, agricultural conversion, and invasive species—and prioritizes a set of enabling and implementation strategies to address them. These strategies emphasize:

Increasing restoration efforts, such as prescribed fire and conifer thinning;
Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and partnering with Tribal Nations;
Building technical capacity for restoration across public and private lands;
Monitoring progress through clear indicators tied to ecological attributes like native understory diversity, oak regeneration, and bird community composition.

KSON’s work is grounded in the principle that conservation must be collaborative and culturally informed. Since its formation in 2010, KSON has restored over 6,500 acres, investing more than $7.5 million, through close collaboration with Tribes, local agencies, NGOs, and landowners. Now, following the Strategic Conservation Action Plan, KSON is leveraging an additional $14.5 million to restore 3,850 acres on private and BLM-managed lands through the Upper Rogue Oak Initiative.

The local success of KSON offers more than a blueprint for oak conservation—it serves as the southern anchor of a much larger regional effort.

Scaling Up: The Prairie, Oaks, and People Investment Strategy

Recognizing that local success stories, such as KSON’s, must be replicated across a broader geography to achieve a meaningful and lasting impact, the Prairie, Oaks, and People Investment Strategy was developed to coordinate and scale conservation efforts across the Pacific Northwest’s oak and prairie landscapes.

Led by the Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance, this regional strategy unites nine partnership initiatives—each operating in different parts of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia—into a shared framework for action. Together, these groups aim to protect 10,200 acres, restore 60,000 acres, recover key species, and build Tribal and community capacity over the next five years.

The strategy calls for a $304 million investment focused on four main pillars:

Land Protection: Securing remaining high-value oak and prairie habitats through easements and acquisitions;
Habitat Restoration: Using ecocultural fire, invasive species management, and oak recruitment to rebuild habitat resilience;
Species Recovery: Focusing on priority bird species like Lewis’s Woodpecker and Oregon Vesper Sparrow—both recognized as Tipping Point species requiring immediate action;
Capacity Building: Expanding the workforce, tools, and funding needed to sustain long-term conservation success, particularly through Tribal leadership and local stewardship.

Importantly, the Prairie, Oaks, and People strategy connects ecological restoration with rural resilience, promoting sustainable grazing, native seed production, cultural renewal, and climate adaptation as co-benefits of habitat work.

The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network’s local plan is nested within—and critical to—the success of this broader regional vision. Lessons learned and methods proven in the KSON geography are informing restoration priorities, investment strategies, and monitoring frameworks across the entire Pacific Northwest oak and prairie range.

National Recognition: Highlighted in the 2025 State of the Birds Report

The impact of this tiered, integrated approach has not gone unnoticed. The 2025 State of the Birds Report—the nation’s leading assessment of bird population health—specifically showcases the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network and the Prairie, Oaks, and People strategy as outstanding examples of conservation success.

The report underscores the crisis facing oak- and prairie-dependent bird species. Western forest birds have declined by 11%, grassland birds by 43%, and oak-woodland specialists like the Lewis’s Woodpecker and Oregon Vesper Sparrow are among those identified as “Tipping Point” species, having lost more than half their populations over the past 50 years.

Yet amid these sobering trends, the State of the Birds spotlights KSON’s and the broader Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance’s work as proof that proactive, coordinated, science-based action can reverse declines. Restoration of oak and prairie systems is already helping to stabilize and increase populations of several plant and insect species. These efforts are also enhancing climate resilience, rural economic vitality, and cultural renewal.

This national recognition validates the approach: start with place-based, community-led action (like KSON’s work), scale it through regional coordination (as in Prairie, Oaks, and People), and secure broader conservation gains with tangible, measurable outcomes.

Call to Action

The intersection of the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network Strategic Plan and the Prairie, Oaks, and People Investment Strategy—now recognized in the 2025 State of the Birds Report—shows the power of building conservation from the ground up and scaling it strategically across landscapes.

By aligning local success with regional coordination and national attention, we can restore the Pacific Northwest’s oak and prairie ecosystems, support imperiled bird species, strengthen communities, and build climate resilience for future generations.

The work ahead demands bold investment, sustained partnership, and a shared commitment to scaling what works.

Together, we can ensure that oak and prairie ecosystems—and the diverse birds, wildlife, and cultures they sustain—thrive once again.

You can help support this important work by making a donation or purchasing the 2025-2026 Conservation Stamp Set.

Upper Rogue Oak Initiative awarded $2.78 million for habitat restoration

Written by Elva Manquera on December 1, 2022. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

Large mature oak tree with spreading limbs (c) Frank Lospalluto

This press release was originally posted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) HERE.

ODFW, in partnership with the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON), received a $2.78 million federal grant from America the Beautiful Challenge program to conduct oak-prairie habitat restoration in the Upper Rogue watershed.

The funding comes from multiple federal agencies and complements match funding from private donations designated for landscape-scale conservation work directed by the state, tribal, nonprofit, and working-lands partners.

“Building on a decade of collaboration, restoration, and a body of science to inform future actions, we are excited to embark on a project of this scale to protect oak for the benefit of people and wildlife,” said Jaime Stephens, Klamath Bird Observatory Science Director, and KSON Coordinator.

Large oak with spreading limbs (c) Bob Altman

The federal grant will help support two ongoing oak restoration initiatives. The Upper Rogue Oak Initiative builds on a recently awarded $7 million investment from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and $3 million matching funds to KSON’s Little Butte Oak Initiative. Support for both initiatives will create landscape resiliency and wildlife connectivity.

The additional investment expands the initiatives’ geographic reach by restoring 800 acres of oak habitat using prescribed fire, ecological thinning to reduce conifer encroachment, noxious weed reduction, and native understory planting.

Through Lomakatsi’s Tribal Partnerships Program and the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership, tribes and inter-tribal crew members have supported oak habitat restoration as part of KSON and related initiatives for over two decades. A central part of the grant application focuses on engaging with tribes and tribal communities with ancestral ties to the project area to ensure indigenous voices and the incorporation of culturally beneficial resources and subsistence “first foods” into restoration planning.

KSON partners anticipate equally distributing restoration actions across both private and BLM-administered public lands. Restoration treatments on BLM-administered lands are planned under various environmental analyses, including the Integrated Vegetation Management for Resilient Lands (IVM-RL) Environmental Assessment (EA).

“The BLM designed and developed the assessment with a desire to help streamline collaborative projects and increase competitiveness,” said BLM Medford District Manager Elizabeth Burghard. “We recognize the importance of an all lands, all hands approach to ecosystem restoration and fuels reduction projects.”

White-breasted Nuthatch (c) Karl Schneck

It is estimated that less than 25 percent of historic prairie-oak habitat remains across Oregon. The most significant percentage of remaining oak habitat in the Pacific Northwest is in southwest Oregon. Both land conversion and human-induced ecosystem process alterations threaten these remaining habitats. Oak habitat loss is a significant threat to wildlife species in Oregon, including Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and game animals such as deer and elk.

ODFW’s Habitat Division, created by the Legislature in 2021, worked with the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, Oregon Wildlife Foundation, and Klamath Bird Observatory to secure funding through America the Beautiful Challenge and will work with KSON starting in 2023 to implement restoration work.

Additional grant funds from the America the Beautiful Challenge were also awarded to projects in Oregon:

The Nez Perce Tribe was awarded $5 million for restoring sockeye salmon habitat connectivity at the Wallowa Lake dam.

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw will receive $3.5 million for tidal wetland restoration for Oregon Coast Coho Salmon habitat restoration in the Siuslaw River estuary.

North Fork John Day Watershed Council was awarded $509,000 for the mine tailing and water quality restoration of Bull Run Creek in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

Curry County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $700,000 for treating invasive gorse and English ivy to protect the Siskiyou National Forest.

For more information about how ODFW connects conservation partners and communities with once-in-a-lifetime federal infrastructure funds and other opportunities, visit ODFW’s Investing in Oregon (IIJA) webpage.

Media Contact:
Elva Manquera-DeShields, KBO, ejm@klamathbird.org
Adam Baylor, ODFW, Adam.C.Baylor@odfw.oregon.gov

The Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) is a non-profit organization that advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. Working in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the ranges of migratory birds, KBO emphasizes high-caliber science and the role of birds as indicators to inform and improve natural resource management. KBO also nurtures an environmental ethic through community outreach and education.

PRESS RELEASE: KSON Receives Funding to Restore 2,480 Acres of Oak Habitat

Written by Elva Manquera on August 17, 2022. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Partners, KBO Science, Press Room.

Media Contact: Elva Manquera-DeShields, ejm@klamathbird.org, 541-908-0040

We are excited to announce that the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON) has received funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)’s Focused Investment Partnerships grant program for the Little Butte Oak Initiative. KSON partners plan to restore 2,480 acres of oak habitat within the Little Butte Creek Watershed and Table Rocks using ecological thinning, prescribed fire, noxious weed abatement, and native understory planting.

The Table Rock Conservation area includes approximately 1,301 acres of oak woodland habitat and 556 acres of oak conifer habitat. This Initiative will focus on maintenance, using prescribed fire or other demonstration treatments at Table Rocks. Photo © Jaime Stephens.

With a seven million dollar investment from OWEB and nearly three million dollars secured in matching funds, this Initiative will catalyze tribal, federal, and private landowner collaboration, support, and capacity for important oak restoration over the next six years. KSON partners anticipate equally distributing restoration actions across both private and BLM-administered public lands. Restoration treatments on BLM-administered lands are planned under various environmental analyses, including the Integrated Vegetation Management for Resilient Lands (IVM-RL) Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Lost Antelope Environmental Assessment.

“The BLM designed and developed the IVM EA with a desire to help streamline collaborative projects and increase competitiveness,” said BLM Medford District Manager Elizabeth Burghard. “We recognize the importance of an all lands, all hands approach to ecosystem restoration and fuels reduction projects.”

The project will include several opportunities where the public can learn more about these restoration efforts. Public engagement will include demonstration treatments at Table Rocks and will complement ongoing programs of interpretation, public education, and volunteer stewardship.

KSON’s Little Butte Oak Initiative was selected through a highly competitive, state-wide process, that saw grants awarded to a total of five projects across the state. OWEB, which is funded primarily through state lottery revenue, has the mission to help protect and restore healthy watersheds and natural habitats that support thriving communities and strong economies.

“Shovel-ready projects are important to be competitive for large restoration funding sources such as this one. KSON partners have done an immense amount of work to be well positioned for an opportunity like this, including developing restoration best practices and a strategic conservation plan, building relationships with partners and landowners, and completing federal planning processes like the BLM’s Vegetation Management for Resilient Lands Environmental Assessment.” Jaime Stephens – Klamath Bird Observatory Science Director and Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network Coordinator.

For time immemorial, oak ecosystems have provided and continue to provide culturally important plants and other resources that sustain indigenous communities. Over the past century, oak-prairie ecosystems have experienced dramatic loss and degradation. Restoration action is essential, climate-smart, and will benefit wildlife and people. KSON is a collaborative regional partnership with a mission is to conserve oak habitats on private and public lands in southern Oregon and northern California. Guided by the KSON Strategic Conservation Action Plan, the Little Butte Oak Initiative will reduce the two highest ranked threats – fire exclusion and conifer encroachment – through restoration actions and strengthen partnerships to support future work.

Oak woodland has a high need for restoration in the Pacific Northwest and much of Oregon’s remaining oak ecosystems are found in Southwest Oregon. One of the main threats to oak woodlands is a disrupted fire regime and resulting conifer encroachment. Photo of a healthy oak woodland © Klamath Bird Observatory

Other research has shown that over 50% of forest-dependent birds in the West are in decline, one of the steepest declines of any bird group. This sobering statistic has sounded the alarm that landscape-level conservation actions are needed now more than ever. Landscape-scale forest structure has moved away from its natural range of variability, resulting in unnaturally severe fire, diminished freshwater supplies, and bird declines. The suite of birds associated with oak habitats are among those most at-risk. This Initiative is part of a regional and national response that is underway to address the Three Billion Birds Crisis, which identifies the urgency for conservation actions to consider declining species in the hopes of keeping species off the federal endangered species list.

These conservation actions will result in both short and long-term benefits to birds, big game species, and other wildlife that are dependent on oak woodland and oak conifer habitats. The Oak Titmouse (left) and Ash-Throated Flycatcher (right) are Partners in Flight focal species that will both benefit from the restoration. Photo © Frank Lospalluto

This Initiative’s targeted ecological outcomes are to support stable populations of oak-prairie-dependent wildlife species sustained by habitat structure and native plant species composition and to maintain oak-prairie ecosystems resilient to habitat loss and degradation from climate, extreme fire, insects, and disease. A central part of the grant application focuses on engaging with tribes and tribal communities with ancestral ties to the project area, to ensure an indigenous voice and the incorporation of cultural beneficial resources and subsistence “first foods” into restoration planning.

“We are excited to be a part of this incredible opportunity to restore oak habitat in partnership with tribal, agency, and non-profit partners,” said Marko Bey, Executive Director of Lomakatsi Restoration Project. “We believe this application was successful because of the demonstrated track records, capacity, and long-term relationships of the partners involved, the emphasis on involving tribal partners and implementing ecocultural restoration, and the focus on oak habitat – one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the West that is unfortunately in rapid decline.”

Core KSON partners are Klamath Bird Observatory, Lomakatsi Restoration Project, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, The Nature Conservancy, Understory Initiative, Bureau of Land Management Medford District, Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and US Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Additional Initiative partners include Rogue River Watershed Council, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership, and others.

For more information on the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network visit here: https://klamathbird.org/partnerships/kson/

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Did you miss the KSON quarterly meeting?

Written by Elva Manquera on May 3, 2022. Posted in Klamath Call Note.

Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network is a collaborative regional partnership that works to conserve oak habitats on private and public lands in southern Oregon and northern California. This presentation’s speaker was Jena Volpe, a KSON steering committee member and Fire Ecologist with the Medford BLM. She discussed the Integrated Vegetation Management for Resilient Lands Environmental Assessment (IVM-RL EA), which creates a toolbox for the BLM to increase the scope, scale, and pace of proactive treatments over a 10 year period.

Click here to view the recording.

Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network Quarterly Meeting April 28th

Written by Elva Manquera on April 25, 2022. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Science, Trips & Events.

The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON) is holding its second quarterly meeting of 2022 on Thursday, April 28th from 9-10:30 am. This collaborative regional partnership works to conserve oak habitats on private and public lands in southern Oregon and northern California. Our speaker this month is Jena Volpe, a KSON steering committee member and Fire Ecologist with the Medford BLM. She will be discussing the Integrated Vegetation Management for Resilient Lands Environmental Assessment (IVM-RL EA), which creates a toolbox for the BLM to increase the scope, scale, and pace of proactive treatments over a 10 year period. Please email mlm@klamathbird.org for the Zoom link.

NEWS RELEASE: Oak associated bird community benefits from restoration, new paper shows

Written by KBO on December 1, 2020. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Partners, KBO Science, Press Room.

NEWS RELEASE: December 2, 2020

CONTACT: Jaime Stephens, Science Director, Klamath Bird Observatory
541‐944-2890, jlh@KlamathBird.org

Oak ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest are highly biodiverse and host more than 300 vertebrate species; yet a significant proportion of historic oak ecosystems in the region have been lost, and most remaining habitat is in a degraded state. Songbirds that are closely associated with oak ecosystems have experienced concerning declines, which is one of the reasons why research and restoration in oak habitats are priorities in our region.

KBO Position Announcements

Written by KBO on January 25, 2018. Posted in Klamath Call Note.

Klamath Bird Observatory has announced several new position openings. We are currently recruiting for field technicians for the upcoming 2018 field season, citizen scientist volunteers for a new Short-eared Owl survey project, and a meeting facilitator to work with the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network. Links to the position announcements on KBO’s website are below—where you with find details about the positions and instructions on how to apply.

On behalf of the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network, KBO is seeking bids for a meeting facilitator to support strategic planning efforts—CLICK HERE to view this position announcement.

KBO is seeking to fill two Field Technician positions in our bird monitoring and research program at several riparian restoration sites along the Trinity, Salmon, and possibly Klamath rivers in northern California—CLICK HERE to view this position announcement.

KBO invites applications for four (4) Bird Banding Assistant Internship position openings—CLICK HERE to view this position announcement.

KBO seeks to fill a Field Technician position with primary responsibilities to manage our bird banding long-term monitoring project—CLICK HERE to view this position announcement.

KBO is seeking volunteers for a Short-eared Owl citizen science monitoring project—CLICK HERE to view this position announcement.

Medford Mail Tribune: Funding for Oak Woodland Restoration Partnership’s Efforts

Written by KBO on October 30, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Partners, Press Room.

The cover article of Monday October 30, 2017 edition of the Medford Mail Tribune shines a spotlight on the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network’s recent $100,185 grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

The article by the Mail Tribune’s Mark Freeman highlights both the plight of disappearing oak woodlands and the successes of restoration efforts. Klamath Bird Observatory Science Director Jaime Stephens explains the crucial need for oak woodland restoration and how KBO is using bird count data to measure restoration effectiveness.

The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network is a partnership that includes KBO, The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Lomakasti Restoration Project.

Click here to read the Medford Mail Tribune article.

Click here to learn more about the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network.

Oak Woodlands and Prairies Get Much Needed Help

Written by KBO on October 26, 2017. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board has approved more than $300,000 in funding for three projects to protect and restore dwindling oak woodlands and prairies. The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network, a collaborative regional partnership that includes Klamath Bird Observatory, will receive $100,185.

This work is important to Klamath Bird Observatory because many birds associated with oak habitats are in decline. For example, the Oak Titmouse which is common in our local oak woodlands has lost over 50% of its population over the last 44 years. This species, although a bit drab, is easily recognized by its tufted cap. It is a full time resident in oak woodlands, which from a conservation standpoint makes things easier. Unlike our migratory birds which require multiple habitats across several countries each year, this species is right here in our backyards! If we do good things for oaks we expect to have a positive affect for Oak Titmouse. We are monitoring birds at oak restoration sites to measure success of not only oaks themselves, but birds and other wildlife.

CLICK HERE to view the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture’s press release for this important Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board funding.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network.

Just Published State of North America’s Birds Report Is a Call to Action

Written by KBO on May 18, 2016. Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Education, KBO Partners, KBO Science, Press Room.

*** NEWS RELEASE—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

May 18, 2016

Media Contact: John Alexander, Executive Director Klamath Bird Observatory

541-890-7067; jda@klamathbird.org

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative has published the State of North America’s Birds report. Through a groundbreaking collaboration between the United States, Mexico, and Canada this report evaluates birds of nine key ecosystems across the continent. The report highlights two key aspects of bird conservation that are core to Klamath Bird Observatory’s science, education, and partnership efforts in southern Oregon and northern California. First, science driven conservation works, and second, our continent’s birds still need our help.

The Report’s authors found that where an investment is made in healthy habitat management, birds are doing well; and healthy birds mean healthy ecosystems. They provide several examples, including southern Oregon’s Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network collaboration of Lomakatski Restoration Project, Bureau of Land Management, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Bird Observatory and others. The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network has leveraged $4.5 million of combined federal and non-federal resources to restore over 3,000 acres of oak woodlands across our region, with another 3,000 acres to be restored by 2020. This work is being guided by and evaluated with KBO research and monitoring using oaks-associated birds as indicators of success.

The Report also presents a Watch List that identifies one third of North America’s bird species as high risk, including the Olive-sided Flycatcher. Klamath Bird Observatory research shows that in our region the Olive-sided Flycatcher is associated with fire and related forest conditions. This is just one example of the many indicator species that Klamath Bird Observatory studies, with results informing forest management. The State of North America’s Birds report emphasizes the importance of such studies, because quality, not just quantity, of our temperate forests, is critical for forest birds. In the West, fire plays a key role in maintaining high-quality forest ecosystems, and Klamath Bird Observatory is working to show how this understanding, and the use of birds as indicators, can inform management our western forests. This application of science and bird conservation priorities to address pressing forest management challenges, with an intention to protect and restore our forests, and thereby stop the steepening declines of our western forest birds.

This new State of North America’s Birds report is a call to action. Of North America’s 1,154 bird species, 432 are now considered of “high concern” due to low or declining populations and growing threats from habitat loss, invasive predators, and climate change. Migratory birds connect people to nature and provide multiple benefits – ecological, economic, agricultural, aesthetic, and recreational – for people and the natural environment. Therefor our governments, industry, and the public must once again come together to support migratory bird conservation. The 2016 Report and past State of the Birds reports archive are available at www.StateOfTheBirds.org.

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Klamath Bird Observatory, based in Ashland, Oregon, is a scientific non-profit organization that achieves bird conservation in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the migratory ranges of the birds of our region. We developed our award-winning conservation model in the ruggedly beautiful and wildlife-rich Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California, and we now apply this model more broadly to care for our shared birds throughout their annual cycles. Emphasizing high caliber science and the role of birds as indicators of the health of the land, we specialize in cost-effective bird monitoring and research projects that improve natural resource management. Also, recognizing that conservation occurs across many fronts, we nurture a conservation ethic in our communities through our outreach and educational programs.

The U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Committee is a forum of government agencies, private organizations, and bird initiatives helping partners across the continent meet their common bird conservation objectives. The Committee is working to secure a bright future for North America’s more than 1,150 species of birds, in conjunction with NABCI partners in Mexico and Canada to increase cooperation and effectiveness of bird conservation efforts among the three countries. The NABCI Committee’s strategy is to foster coordination and collaboration on key issues of concern, including bird monitoring, conservation design, private lands, international collaboration, and state and federal agency support for integrated bird conservation.

For more information about the North American Bird Conservation Initiative: www.nabci-us.org/