AUTHORS: Dale Gentry, Director of Conservation, Audubon Upper Mississippi River; Brent Newman, Program Director - Mississippi River Water Initiative, National Audubon Society
ABSTRACT: Riparian and floodplain forest habitats of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) are the backbone of the Mississippi Flyway which serves as a major aerial highway for 60% of North America's bird species. The incredibly diverse ecosystems associated with the Mississippi River have been altered by agriculture, the impoundment of the river in locks and dams, levees, pollution, and climate change, which have reduced the quantity and quality of habitat for migrant and breeding birds. Audubon’s Mississippi River Initiative is a focused effort engaging and working alongside private and public land managers to mitigate these factors that are negatively influencing habitat and water quality by encouraging and guiding bird-friendly habitat management strategies that retain and enhance forest and grasslands cover in the UMR flyway. Audubon’s Mississippi River Initiative emphasizes science, habitat restoration, and policy approaches. 1) We are implementing and supporting avian monitoring and research efforts along the river to fill critical science gaps and develop habitat restoration strategies that align with science-based management and adaptation plans. 2) We are partnering with federal, state, and private land managers and stakeholders to restore and enhance bottomland and upland forests. We are also enhancing water quality by expanding and improving the management of perennial grass pastures in the Mississippi River watershed through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching initiative. Finally, 3) we are pursuing policy solutions that will lead to a healthy and resilient environment for priority bird species and human communities. Audubon works from the halls of Congress and river management teams to local city councils to achieve policies and funding implementation in alignment with our watershed goals. Through these three action steps, Audubon is seeking a more resilient and ecologically vibrant future for the Mississippi River.
