[Denveraudubon] Pawnee National Grasslands Important Bird Area Planning Meeting and Carpool Directions: Please RSVP

[Charles Thornton-Kolbe]

How can birders and other conservationists get involved with bird and other wildlife conservation at the Pawnee National Grasslands?
   
  Several Audubon organizations are working together with the Pawnee National Grasslands administration to support conservation efforts to protect and expand bird habitat at the Pawnee National Grasslands.  The group will monitor the site, assess conservation issues, develop a conservation plan (building off existing plans of the Pawnee National Grasslands), and help implement that plan.   Through this more proactive stewardship process, we hope to avoid and address any threats to birds and/or bird habitats at this Important Bird Area.  Our next planning, meeting is January 27 in Greeley.  Please RSVP by contacting Charles Thornton-Kolbe at charles at nestlingtours.com
   
  Agenda: Developing an Adopt and IBA Project Group
  For Pawnee National Grasslands
  January 27, 2006 from  9:30 AM to 11:30 AM  File:  agPNG-AdoptIBA-8.doc
   
  Note on Carpool from Denver:  We will meet at Commerce City Recreation Center (at 6060 East Parkway Drive in Commerce City) at 8:20 AM.  From I-25 (close to downtown), go east on I-70.  From I-70 going east, get off at the Colorado Boulevard exit north.  Keep going north on Colorado, past I -270 to 60th Avenue.  There's a Wal-Mart there at 60th Avenue and Colorado.  Turn right (east) on 60th and go about 1 block to the Recreation Center parking lot which will be on your left, behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken.    We will meet in the corner to the south and farthest from the entrance.
   
   
  Objective:  Determine how to develop, an Adopt-an-IBA program to support bird and wildlife conservation efforts at Pawnee National Grasslands.  
   
  1)      Review Objective/Review and Set Agenda and Time/Assign Time Keeper
   
  2)      Goal 1:  Identify locations highly utilized by wildlife and focus conservation and interpretation efforts there.
  a)      Using Current GIS of Forest Service
  i)        Updates planned to GIS.  See “Strategy for Supporting Bird and Wildlife Conservation Efforts at Pawnee National Grasslands”
  ii)       What help does Forest Service need to make updates to GIS?  Add to list of ways IBA group can help.
  (1)   Help with data input to complete GIS system with all sources (such as from Colorado Natural Heritage Program)
  (2)   Others??
  iii)     What other survey work (if any) is needed? 
  (1)   Is any more survey work needed?
  (2)   Add to list of ways IBA group can help.
  iv)    What current survey efforts need more help? Add to list of ways IBA group can help.
  b)      What does this information tell us?  
  i)        See notes from last meeting below at “Areas Highly Utilized by Wildlife” and “Sensitive Species and Key Habitats”
  ii)       See Beth’s summaries from surveys and other readily availble GIS information summaries.
  iii)     What else (if anything) would we like to learn from the GIS)?  
  c)      What priorities can we all agree on??  Vote and assess consensus.
  d)      What are conservation priorities here?  Brainstorm and identify or does this move us towards Goal 2 (see agenda at Goal 2 below).
   
  3)      Goal 2:  Identify and monitor threats to birds.
  a)      Wind Farms
  i)        What are issues??  
  ii)       By Joel Hurmence and Ken Strom. 
  iii)     What can we do about them??  Add to list of what we can do.
  b)      Oil and Gas Leases
  i)        What are issues?? 
  ii)       What can we do about them?? Add to list of what we can do.
  c)      See list from last meeting generated by Forest Service and IBA Group discussion??  What are other threats to birds besides these (brainstorm, as needed)??
  d)      IBA group-What else would we like to do about these threats to birds?
   
  4)      Survey of prairie dog towns
  a)      Data from Forest Service annual survey?  Currently 1800 acres and 62 Prairie dog towns.
  b)      What more needs to be done here?
  c)      Anyone want to analyze (beyond Beth’s summary)
  d)      Threats:  Hunting prairie dogs on public lands?  Plague??
  e)      IBA group-What else would we like to do?
   
  5)      How Work Towards Goal:  Reducing Impact of Target Shooting
  a)      Forest service going through process of reducing sites and other management.
  b)      IBA Group:  In past has discussed twice annual clean ups, once sites are closed.  Add to list of what we can do.
  c)      IBA group-What else would we like to do?  Add to list of what we can do. 
   
  6)      Review List of What We Can Do and Get Strategic:  See List of What We Can Do
  a)      Rate by show of hands and assign names to each item
  b)      Rate each item on scale from most effective in supporting bird and wildlife conservation efforts to least effective 
  c)      Rate each item on scale rating how easy to accomplish to most difficult to accomplish
  d)      Vote on top 4 to 6 activities for 2007
   
  7)      Develop action plan for 2007 (who coordinate, who participate, each step, and timeframes)
   
  8)      Other Issues:
  a)      Anytime Conservation Area Surveys
   
  9)      Set Next Meeting Data and Location and Set Next Work Day
   
  10)  Meeting Follow-Up and Evaluation
  ·          Key Questions:
  ·          Were decision made?
  ·          Were there action items not addressed?
  ·          Did we stray from agenda?
  ·          Did we start and stop on-time?
  ·          Were participants prepared?
  ·          Did participants have preparation tools?\
  ·          What did we do well?
  ·          What could we have done better?
  ·          What preparation needed for next meeting?
  
 
   
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