The Unified Strategy to Restore Wild Quail

Don McKenzie, NBCI Director

Quail hunting is a Southern heritage

Bad NewsBetter NewsGood News

Annual Trend in Bobwhite Abundance% Change

Alab

ama

Arka

nsas

*D

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are

Flor

ida

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Illin

ois

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-18.0

-15.0

-12.0

-9.0

-6.0

-3.0

0.0

3.0

Long-term trend (1966-09) 5 yr. trend (2005-09)

*State began BBS in 1967**Survey-wide includes CO, CT, MA, MI, NM, NY, RI, SD, WA, WI

Bobwhite’s Troubled “Neighbors”Bachman’s sparrowBrown-headed nuthatchGreater prairie-chickenHenslow’s sparrowLoggerhead shrikeEastern meadowlarkEastern kingbirdDickcisselGrasshopper sparrowPrairie warblerBlue-winged warblerGolden-winged warblerPainted buntingBewick’s wrenBell’s vireoOrchard orioleField sparrowEastern towheeYellow-breasted chat

B. Collins

Pollinators that share bobwhite habitatare declining, too

How did we get in this deep hole?

Unmanaged natural plant successionIntensive agricultureSubsidized spread of invasive

exoticsUrban sprawl

Bobwhites May Be The Most Difficult Wildlife Restoration Challenge Ever

• States have authority & responsibility– Not Federal or joint– ~ 30 independent jurisdictions– No central infrastructure (e.g. USFWS)

• Landscape-scale habitat problem– No shortcuts

• Mostly private land• Long-term challenge• Constituency is fading• Hope is stretched thin

Bad NewsBetter NewsGood News

Quail Problem is Solvable:

Science+

People, Politics and Money

A+

D-

Northeast

Midwest

Southeast

25 States +Partners

1 TechnicalCommittee

1 Unified Quail Initiative

The States Have Come Together for Quail

ManyPartners

NBCIManagement

Board

NationalBobwhiteTechnical

Committee

Universityof

Tennessee

NBCI Organization

NBCIDirector

andStaff NBCI Staff:

Science CoorForestry CoorUSDA Liaison (in DC)Communications Dir

Centerfor Native

Grasslands Mgt

BobwhiteFoundation

NBCI 2.0 PlanBobwhite Restoration Potential

4.7 MillionNew Coveys

NBCI 2.0

• Each state set bobwhite density goals for specific geographies• Hypotheses to be tested: X habitat prescription =

Y bobwhite density

NBCI MODEL FOCUS AREA

PROGRAM

• Design for success• Habitat tracking• Population

monitoring• Central data management

NBCI is a:• Vision – for widespread restoration of huntable

quail populations• Leadership commitment – of 25 states and many

partners• Organized partnership – national, state, local• Strategic plan – a unified, scientific, habitat-

based quail restoration plan — “NBCI 2.0”• Committee

• National center – to help states and

partners by providing:• Leadership• Coordination• Capacity

LANDOWNERS / PUBLICS

LOCAL / COUNTY

STATES

REGIONAL

NATIONAL

NBCI Strategy Stretches Top to BottomWHITE HOUSE

FARMHOUSE

NBCINiche

NGOs

National Level:Some Major NBCI Prongs of Attack• Science Application

– Coordinating protocols, data collection from states– Establishing central data management

• Agriculture Policy– Improving CRP policy– Instituting native plant policy at NRCS, FSA

• Forest Management, Rx Fire– Opening doors of state forestry leaders– Catalyzing shortleaf pine ecosystem initiative

• Grazing Lands Management– Developing NWSG technology– Promoting native grass-fed beef

• Public Information, Motivation– Magnifying visibility, web capability– Engaging outdoor writers

Bad NewsBetter NewsGood News

Why does this matter?People want to be part of something

bigger

Why does this matter?People want to be part of something

bigger

Why does this matter?People want to be part of something

bigger

Good things happen when people work together

States are Stepping UpSeveral Ongoing Active Quail Initiatives

Examples:• Georgia Bobwhite Quail Initiative• North Carolina CURE• Missouri bobwhite recovery plan• Virginia Quail Action Plan• Mississippi NBCI step-down plan• Kentucky quail plan• Florida UERP

Latest State Quail Initiatives

• Kansas Quail Initiative: 2012 – 2017• Pennsylvania Northern Bobwhite

Management Plan: 2011 – 2020• Georgia Bobwhite Quail Initiative (2nd

round)• Oklahoma’s Upland Urgency • Texas Quail Focus Area Initiative: 2012• South Carolina – new in 2013

Raise your hand if:

You have ever griped about government?

Raise your hand if:

Kentucky is Good News for Bobwhite Conservation

KDFWR is proving that government can sometimes do things right

KDFWR:• Invests in key agency capacity:•2 expert quail coordinators•Numerous private lands biologists•Provides quail leadership:• in-state: other agencies, partners• nationally: NBTC, NBCI, Farm Bill•Puts $$ where mouth is for quail

projects•Already achieving exciting

success

Kentucky Quail Progress

•Shaker Village•Peabody WMA•Green River CREP•Next: Livingston County

Focal Area?

STATES

NBCI STRATEGY IS STATE-CENTEREDStates Assert Leading Role

Partners Collaborate and Reinforce

PARTNERS

NB

CI

STATES

NBCI STRATEGY IS STATE-CENTEREDStates Assert Leadership Role

Partners Collaborate and Reinforce

PARTNERS

NB

CI

This is Kentucky’s TimeKDFWR is doing its part

to provide bobwhite leadership

NOW is the time for Kentucky sportsmen

to step up

First Steps of Long Journey

• NBCI vision is “widespread” quail restoration

• not just a few hot spots

• Focus areas are beginning, not end• Show short-term success …• Then expand to more and more new areas

• All partners are needed, to keep moving forward

bringbackbobwhites.org

Quail Problem is Solvable:

Science+

People, Politics and Money

http://fw.ky.gov/

NBCI Pushing Quail Focus Areas. Why?

• Long-term Challenge, but short-term:• Expectations, attention spans• Budget cycles

• Cannot fix entire states at once• Need manageable-sized areas

• Must demonstrate short-term successes• Prove concepts, instill hope• Secure perseverance

• Strategic Habitat Conservation• Learn what is / is not working

Quail Problem is Solvable:

Science+

People, Politics and Money