PACIFIC COAST

Description: The diverse habitats of the region include the coastlines and highly productive offshore marine areas, the largely coniferous coastal rainforests of its northern half, low coastal mountains of mixed chaparral vegetation towards the south, and the wetlands and lowlands of the expansive Central Valley of California.

Geographic Extent:The region extends from northern Baja California along the U.S. Pacific Coast through British Columbia. Though biologically connected, the Alaska coastline along the Gulf of Alaska is treated in plans prepared by Alaska partners.

BCRs: Northern Pacific Rainforest (BCR 5) and Coastal California (BCR 32), and the adjacent waters of the California Current (PBCR 71 in the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan).

Joint Ventures: Pacific Coast Joint Venture, Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture, San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, Sonoran Desert Joint Venture

Political Units: Baja California, Mexico; California, Oregon, Washington in the U.S.; British Columbia, Canada. (Alaska portion of BCR 5 will be included in the Alaska planning region).

Planning Products

Planning for waterbird conservation in the Pacific Coast region is taking place as a collection of area-focused or species-focused plans. Partners propose to synthesize these various documents into comprehensive strategies to guide and support the work of all regional stakeholders. These strategies will specifically identify priority species, areas, issues; short and long term measurable goals; and provide recommended actions to achieve those goals.

The following are some of the efforts that will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive regional plan:

Canadian portions of the region:
The Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region has prepared a compendium report of Migratory Bird Conservation Plans for the province of British Columbia and the Yukon territory. These plans include the "Pacific & Yukon Region Seabird Conservation Plan" and the "Pacific & Yukon Region Waterbird conservation Plan." They are intended to be internal documents identifying Canadian Wildlife Service/Environment Canada regional priorities.

Interested parties can request copies from:
Pacific Wildlife Research Centre
Bob Elner, Director
(604) 940-4700

U.S. portions of the region; seabirds and coastal birds only: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1 has prepared a Regional Seabird Conservation Plan. The purpose of the plan is to set goals and priorities for the Service, and serve as a guide to coordinate Service activities with partners in the region.

Please direct comments or questions to:
Maura Naughton, Regional Seabird Biologist
Migratory Birds and Habitat Programs - Pacific Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR, 97232 attn: MBHP
503-231-6164; fax 503-231-2019, maura_naughton@fws.gov

California Current Marine Ecosystem
PRBO Conservation Science has prepared a California Current System Marine Bird Conservation Plan (CCS Plan). The purpose of this document is To summarize information on marine birds in the California Current System and provide science-based conservation recommendations for marine managers. Its scope is 92 species of breeding and migratory marine birds in the California Current System, stretching from southern British Columbia to central Baja California.

Contact:
Brenna Langabeer, Program Coordinator
PRBO Conservation Science, Marine Ecology Division
(415) 868 1221 ext. 349
blangabeer@prbo.org

U.S. portions of Northern Pacific Rainforest (BCR 5) and Coastal California (BCR 32):
Partners are collaborating on plans to address the needs of colonial and noncolonial waterbirds not addressed in the USFWS Regional Seabird Plan and the CCS Plan (described above).

Prospectus for BCR 5 regional waterbird plan
Contact Eric Scheuering, Zoologist/Data Manager, under contract with USFWS Region 1
Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center
(503) 731-3070 x106; eric.scheuering@oregonstate.edu
http://oregonstate.edu/ornhic/

Prospectus for BCR 32 regional waterbird plan
Contact David Shuford,under contract with USFWS Region 1
PRBO Conservation Science, Wetlands Conservation Division
415-868-0371; dshuford@prbo.org

IMPLEMENTATON AND RESOURCES

Implementation of plans developed for the Pacific Coast region will involve the participation of many groups and individuals. The partners above, and many others, are linked by the following regional entitites:

Pacific Seabird Group
A society of professional seabird researchers and managers dedicated to the study and conservation of seabirds

Pacific Coast Joint Venture
Stretching from Northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, to Alaska, and also Hawaii.

San Francisco Bay Joint Venture

Central Valley Joint Venture

Sonoran Desert Joint Venture