The latest State of the Birds report was released on July 2 with the 2013 edition focusing on the importance of private lands for birds, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The report is the fourth in a series released through a collaborative effort between the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior as well as state wildlife agencies and science and conservation organizations as part of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

Approximately 1.42 billion acres of land in the United States is in private hands, providing important habitat for all bird species; more than 100 species have more than half of their breeding distribution on private lands. The report outlines how sustainable working lands can meet the landowners economic bottom line while still providing bird habitat as well as cleaner air and water.

"Sixty percent of U.S. land is in private hands, making the efforts of farmers, ranchers and landowners critical when it comes to creating, restoring and protecting bird habitat," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "[This] report highlights the positive impact of voluntary conservation measures for birds, including those made possible by Farm Bill programs. The need for a long-term commitment to conservation is just one more good reason why we need Congressional passage of a multi-year Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible."

The latest State of the Birds report describes some of the programs that support private land conservation efforts and spotlights specific public-private partnerships that are successful in maintaining bird habitat. Federal funding programs including the many Farm Bill conservation programs, the Forest Stewardship Program, coastal conservation grants and others are outlined. Within each region and program focus, the report describes success stories where these programs and partnerships have been used most effectively. The report also makes policy recommendations for the programs, including the reauthorization of Farm Bill programs and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, that have been the most successful in supporting private land conservation.

"The demand from landowners willing to partner in conservation efforts is so great, in fact, it far outstrips the current availability of programs and initiatives," the report states. "Government budgets may be tight, but this report demonstrates that private lands conservation is cost-efficient. Indeed, when government resources are paired with local and private resources in partnership with landowners, the result on the ground is often magnified."

Private conservation funding through local land trusts and national organizations like The Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited, among others, have also played an important role through conservation easements or acquisitions of key habitats. Two percent of private lands are formally protected through these easements or acquisitions ? while seemingly small, this equates to 24 million acres, roughly the size of the entire National Park Service land holdings in the lower 48 states. Extension of tax incentives for conservation easements was also recommended in the report to support these efforts.

Prior to the release of the private lands report, the most recent report was released in May 2011 and focused on bird populations on public lands and waters. (jas)