GRASSLAND BIRD COLLABORATIONS

Ag Allies brings together NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS, land trusts, landowners and farmers for the preservation of grassland habitat.

Cornell Lab’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative

The Ag Allies Collaborative provides financial and technical assistance to landowners and land trusts for management changes that balance the needs of both birds and farmers – putting more grassland acres on the landscape for at-risk species, raising awareness about grassland bird declines, and educating about incorporating birds as part of holistic planning on working lands.

The Ag Allies Program, which leads this collaborative, is run by the Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District (SCSWCD), working in conjunction with land trust partners and the Regional Conservation Partnership Network through the Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative in Maine.

CONSULTATION

We are available, particularly with our Ag Allies partner and long-time land trust contract specialist, Maeve McGowan, to assist land trusts with grassland bird language for conservation easements and fee-owned properties.

SIGNAGE

The Georges River Land Trust worked with Ag Allies to develop grasslands interpretive signs, which are now installed for public viewing at the Riverview Hayfields Preserve. Many land trusts are using our Ag Allies habitat signs, which we provide for all participating land trust fields.

Maine Audubon Partnership

In 2022 and again in 2023, Maine Audubon is helping Ag Allies expand grassland bird nesting habitat conservation activities throughout Maine. This funding is generated from sales and generous support of Peter Vickery’s book, Birds of Maine,

NRCS Pollinator Initiative

New this in 2022, the NRCS pollinator initiative has been opened to include grassland bird habitat practices. The program will provide federal funding through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).

AG ALLIES PARTNERS

CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY

Since receiving one of their first small grant awards in 2018, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative (LTBCI) has helped us to expand our outreach to land trusts across the state and assisted us to begin tracking our grassland bird numbers on E-bird.  With Cornell’s support, Ag Allies serves as a pilot program model for grassland bird conservation in the northeast as part of a multi-year plan to create a northeast region conservation partnership for grassland bird habitat.

MAINE DEPT. OF INLAND FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has been an invaluable resource for our Ag Allies program over the years. From the beginning, Dr. Adrienne Leppold and others have provided support and guidance for the program. In 2023, Department staff will provide field support to help us meet the growing demand for services.