The Future...

Hopefully by promoting education about Important Bird Areas (IBA) people will realize the importance of these valuable areas, especially the grasslands of the Great Plains region. It could be  difficult battle because of U.S. government policies promoting bio fuels which encourages intensive corn crops. As more grasslands are converted for agriculture a sharp decrease in certain species of birds will occur. The IBA word needs to be spread. Write to the senators!

Raise Awareness for Important Bird Areas (IBA)

The Important Bird Areas Program (IBA) is a global effort to identify and conserve areas that are vital to birds by working with Audubon chapters, landowners, public agencies, community groups, and other non-profits. I have been concentrating on the Great Plains Region. I started a letter writing campaign with a local Girl Scout Troop...we are writing to Senator Kent Conrad and Senator John Hoeven both from North Dakota. We are asking the senators for their support in changing laws and policies that would benefit the birds of concern at IBA's and also lobby for land acquisition funds for an IBA where land acquisition is underway. You can write these Senators with your concerns. The loss of grasslands in any region affects birds all over the U.S.

http://www.hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator
http://www.conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm

Biofuel Promotion=Grassland Decline

Fargo ND has had a steady population growth over the last decade. The state's total population grew 4.7% from 2000 to 2010...below the national average...but good for a region that has suffered from depopulation of the Great Plains.
There has been an oil boom in ND western region and 90% of the state's area is used for farms and ranches. One of the most prevalent types of agriculture is corn ethanol plants. But studies have shown that local economic impacts of corn-based ethanol facilities are small. Unfortunately the promotion of the corn ethanol plants adds to the decline of the precious grasslands in ND. This grassland decline could lead to a decrease of up to 52% of Sedge Wrens, Grasshopper Sparrows, Western Meadowlark, and others that use the grasslands for nesting and stopovers.

Read more at http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/136 

Great Plains grassland decline.....endangered ecosystem

Grassland birds were traditionally found in vast numbers across the prairies of the Great Plains region. But today the birds of these grasslands have shown a steep and more geographically widespread decline than any other group of North American species. A direct cause of this decline is the loss of the Great Plains grasslands. This loss is a direct result of human activity such as the conversion of native prairie land to agruculture, urban development, and suppression of naturally occurring fire. As a result, the Great Plains are generally regarded as the most endangered major ecosystem in North America. Some endangered species of grassland birds include the Sharp-tailed Grouse and the Praire Chicken. This decline in the grasslands also affects birds from other areas. The Great Plains grassslands provide important stopover habitats that are crucial for other bird's migration patterns, some 300 birds species breed in the Great Plains, which is almost three-quarters of the breeding bird species in the U.S
To learn more go to: .    http://my.nature.org/birds/about/grassland.html

Grassland decline....loss of bird habitat

One of the most important habitats for birds in the Great Plains Region is the grasslands. Unfortunately the number of grasslands in the Great Plains Region is declining. This loss of habitat is endangering many species of birds. Read more about the impact of the grassland decline at: http://www.prairiefirenewspaper.com/2009/08/restoring-great-plains-grassland-landscapes 

North Dakota....the adventure begins....

My project concerns Important Bird Areas (IBA). I have been in contact with a representative from the Audubon Society for IBA's in North Dakota. I am focusing on the importance of grasslands, which are a very important  habitat for birds. Grasslands seem to be taken for granted in the Great Plains region and have declined over the years. I want to raise awareness for the IBA's here in New Jersey and educate young students about the importance of the grasslands one-thousand miles away in North Dakota.