The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act [NMBCA] was passed in 2000 to help in efforts to conserve migratory birds, many of which are in serious decline.
The purpose of the NMBCA is to establish:
a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean that promote the long-term conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats. The goals of the Act include perpetuating healthy populations of these birds, providing financial resources for bird conservation initiatives, and fostering international cooperation for such initiatives. –U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
For FY 2008, funding was around $4.5 million, a number that will hopefully increase for FY 2009. Since 2002, the NMBCA has been involved in 260 projects that have affected nearly 1.9 million acres of bird habitat.
This program’s partners include:
- Partners in Flight
- U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan
- North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI)
- U.S. Bird Conservation Joint Ventures
If you have a great bird conservation project, you can apply for a grant from NMBCA. The program requires a 3:1 matching funds requirement meaning for every federal dollar, three must be matched with other funding.
Check out the list of 2008 Neotropical Grants. In 2005, a project in Illinois, “Restoring Large Native Prairies for Breeding Grassland Birds” was approved in an effort to restore 1,775 acres of habitat. This is just another fine example of how joint ventures and partnering with many groups can increase conservation efforts.
I looked into getting some kind of grant to help me preserve the brown headed nuthatches down here. They’re so keenly dependent on the longleaf pines that are being cleared at ever greater rates since Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately there was nothing in place I could take advantage of. It seems that if birds aren’t migratory (or on the brink of extinction,) in this country, they can go to hell. <:(