On November 11, 2007, the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking applications from conservation partners interested in assuming the lead national role in managing the operations and growing the capacity to implement the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI).

Published in 2002 by the SEAFWA and its Southeast Quail Study Group (SEQSG), NBCI has been shepherded by the southeastern states for five years, with the staffing of a National Coordinator (Don McKenzie) on long-term loan from the Wildlife Management Institute. This arrangement and the regional collaboration among myriad partners have enabled NBCI to make substantial gains for bobwhite restoration. However, the current NBCI management structure was neither intended nor designed as the long-term mechanism to effect bobwhite restoration.

Several factors combine to create the need for this major move to create and enhance NBCI's operational capacity across bobwhite range-a range that far exceeds the Southeast and the current SEAFWA-based management structure. John Hoskins, SEAFWA president, stated that, "a broader and fully range-wide collaboration is necessary for long-term commitment and success of this landscape-scale conservation challenge."

At present, however, there is no regional or national infrastructure among states capable of providing long-term, stable leadership, coordination, guidance and support for an initiative to restore a widespread resident game bird. Neither is there a single, logical, nongovernmental organization ideally poised to adopt and cultivate NBCI as a major, long-term initiative. The RFP is intended find the best-fit host organization, by soliciting expressions of serious interest among numerous potential candidates, as well as by generating creative thinking about growing and sustaining NBCI over the long term.

The RFP and background information are available for public review at seafwa.org, under "SEAFWA News." Proposals from interested organizations are due by February 1, 2008. Proposals will be reviewed by the SEQSG Steering Committee, then decisions and negotiations will be conducted by the SEAFWA Directors' NBCI Committee. Final decisions are expected by May 2008.