Data gaps exist for many of the landbird species listed in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan. Inadequate understanding of population status, distribution or range, and best inventory techniques can be addressed with the IMBCR. The sampling design allows for the estimation of density, population size, and occupancy for individual strata or biologically meaningful combinations of strata. Data provided through IMBCR will be comparable among states and management agencies, and will prepare Utah WAP partners for the upcoming 2025 WAP revision process.

Objectives of the IMBCR program are to: 1. provide a framework to integrate bird monitoring efforts across bird conservation regions; 2. provide robust population density and occupancy estimates that account for incomplete detection and are comparable at different geographic extents; 3. use annual population estimates to monitor population trends and evaluate causes of population change; 4. provide basic habitat association data for most landbird species to address habitat management issues; 5. maintain a high-quality database that is accessible to all of our collaborators, as well as to the public over the Internet, in the form of raw and summarized data; and 6. generate decision support tools that help guide conservation efforts and provide a quantitative measure of conservation success."

These data provide the means to compare, assess, and focus efforts to address the threats and risks posed by important habitats crossing ecological thresholds.

Utah Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025 - The purpose and goal of this plan is "To manage native wildlife species and their habitats, sufficient to prevent the need for additional listings under the Endangered Species Act." Data gaps exist for many of the landbird species listed in the WAP. Data gaps filled through the IMBCR may lead to removing species from the Utah Wildlife Action Plan and/or provide information to prevent listing under the Endangered Species Act. Information provided by the IMBCR may help instruct actions to be taken to improve habitat conditions for species where warranted, inform the creation of species distribution models, and the 2025 revision of the Wildlife Action Plan. Data products also inform strategic, project, and management plans for each of our Federal cooperators (USFS, BLM, and DoD).

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Spatially balanced samples are selected within defined substratum using a generalized random tessellation stratification algorithm. Stratum are defined using the intersection of Bird Conservation Regions and state boundaries as the primary level of stratification; substrata are defined by IMBCR partners based on areas to which inferences are needed, such as an individual national forest. This robust sampling design allows direct comparison of density and occupancy estimates among geographic areas and across spatial scales. Birds are surveyed from a grid of points within each sample unit during a 6-minute period. Observers record distances to each bird and the 1-minute interval during which each bird was detected. These data are used to estimate occupancy rates at two spatial scales and density using distance sampling theory. Before beginning each six-minute count, surveyors record vegetation data (within a 50 m radius of the point). Vegetation data includes the dominant habitat type and relative abundance; percent cover and mean height of trees and shrubs by species.

IMBCR surveys will continue each year as funding allows. Continued monitoring builds data integrity that allows tracking bird population trends in association with vegetation changes.

BLM, USFS, DoD, Intermountain Bird Observatory, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Data gaps filled through the IMBCR may lead to removing species from the Utah Wildlife Action Plan and/or provide information to prevent listing under the Endangered Species Act. Information provided by the IMBCR may help instruct actions to be taken to improve habitat conditions for species where warranted. The information provided by the IMBCR may help inform actions to be taken to improve habitat conditions for species where warranted, allow the creation of detailed Utah-specific species distribution models, and help set the 2025 revision of the Wildlife Action Plan. Data products also inform strategic, project, and management plans for each of our Federal cooperators (USFS, BLM, and DoD).

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07/01/2022

06/30/2023

2023

All methods used were as proposed.

This particular ESMF/WRI project spans multiple projects, leverages funding from multiple partners, and portions of the work are successful recurring. Unusually, this project required an infusion of additional ESMF funds to complete the objectives when funding from a pass-through contract with the BLM was lost back to Treasury due to a failed amendment. First of these projects is the Integrated Monitoring of Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR). Referencing these resources, the following project objectives were met: Objective 1. Special Status Species. Distribution and abundance estimates are available for all species encountered in our surveys, which includes the vast majority of Special Status Species. These data are actively being used in several parallel efforts to model habitat for Threatened, Endangered, and Special Status migratory bird species -- such as the recently petitioned Pinyon Jay (PIJA) and the Threatened Yellow-billed Cuckoo (YBCU). Both PIJA and YBCU have population strongholds in Utah that occur largely on BLM administered lands, a status previously identified by US FWS- and BLM-funded distribution and habitat modeling work. The unique natural histories of the PIJA (early breeder) and YBCU (late breeder) requires that this work be considered as a distinct field season, though for logistical efficiency the work's planning and execution will be integrated with, and incorporated within, the project's second broader objective (Coordinated Bird Monitoring, below). To achieve this goal, we have partnered with the Utah Fish & Wildlife Research Coop Unit to create robust and defensible species distribution models for all SWAP species, where sufficient data exist, in cooperation with the Utah BLM, the USFS, and Utah State University. The YBCU work tracked probable breeding locations affecting BLM management options and opportunities in the state, including all Critical Habitat areas. Our annual status assessment extends our understanding of YBCU frequency and continuity of habitat use. In 2022 we broadened to a statewide perspective to maintain alignment with the Pacific Flyway's successful 2021-2023 Competitive State Wildlife Grant focused on range-wide YBCU occupancy of potential breeding habitat. The new PIJA work begun 2022 implemented, in coordination with on-going statewide R6 FWS/DWR efforts, the recently developed survey protocols for landscape occupancy and for project clearances over a suite of sites selected in cooperation with BLM biologists. These projects include fine-scale descriptions of nesting and foraging habitat using telemetry, and will over time examine management impacts on PIJA nesting colonies. Objective 2. Coordinated Monitoring. We were successful in meeting our second objective: to support and expand the Integrated Monitoring of Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program to all of Utah through a cooperative and collaborative partnership approach. All Utah partners also participate in the broader IMBCR partnership and utilize the Avian Knowledge Network (aka AKN) for data storage, serving, and analysis in order to benefit from the power of combined data over ecologically- and management-relevant landscapes. The AKN node for accessing Utah's IMBCR data is hosted by the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (link below). The IMBCR program continues to deliver a cost-effective approach to meeting fundamental monitoring and assessment needs of cooperating partners and agencies such as the Utah BLM. Data summaries and annual analyses can be easily accessed in the 2022 IMBCR report (https://bird-conservancy-of-the-rockies.github.io/IMBCR_AnnualReport_2022/). Utah- and Agency-specific data and discussions are available as hotlinks in the Table of Contents. The complete 2022 dataset(s), and customizable analyses that utilize the full span of the IMBCR data, can be accessed via the Rocky Mountain Data Center (http://rmbo.org/v3/avian/ExploretheData.aspx). More specifically, we identified and met all seven sub-objectives relevant to the Utah BLM and the UWAP, as identified in our proposal, which can be readily addressed through the IMBCR program. They are: 1) Provide robust density, population and occupancy estimates that account for incomplete detection and are comparable across installations and different geographic extents; 2) Provide long-term status and trend data for all regularly occurring breeding species throughout the study area; 3) Provide a design framework to spatially integrate existing bird monitoring efforts in the region to provide better information on distribution and abundance of breeding landbirds; 4) Provide specific habitat association data for priority bird species to address habitat management issues; 5) Identify the presence and model occupancy for threatened and endangered species; 6) Maintain a high-quality database that will serve as a node to the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) and facilitate the transfer of monitoring data in both raw and summarized forms; 7) Generate and share decision support tools to guide conservation efforts and provide a better measure of conservation success across the landscape. Leveraging data and effort through a coordinated monitoring program provides several substantial inferential benefits to partners. First, density and occupancy estimates can be produced for a larger number of species than would not be possible for a stand-alone project because detections are pooled across the large-scale, integrated, monitoring program during analyses. Second, pooling the detection data (which results in a larger dataset) during analyses produces more accurate population estimates because the detectability of species is estimated more precisely. Lastly, the nested nature of the IMBCR program (points are nested within samples, samples are nested within strata, strata are nested within Bird Conservation Regions and state boundaries) provides a robust design for inferences at multiple spatial scales. For instance, population metrics are produced annually for individual strata which provide information to local land managers. Furthermore, an area-weighted mean of multiple strata estimates can be produced to provide population estimates for regional scales. Comparing strata-level estimates to regional estimates can help inform land managers on the impact of habitat management practices. This is of critical importance because large-scale factors such as climate change and habitat loss throughout the annual life-cycle of migratory birds may impact population metrics as much or more than habitat management practices on the breeding grounds. The ability to compare strata-level estimates to regional estimates provides context for these large-scale factors. The IMBCR program also represents a cost-efficient alternative to stand-alone monitoring programs. Cost savings are realized through the joint hiring and training of a large number of field technicians; housing data in a pre-existing secure database; utilizing a value-restricted data entry platform specifically designed for IMBCR data; adhering to pre-existing data collection, data entry, and proofing protocols; analyzing all strata and regional estimates jointly using R code designed for IMBCR data (R package known as RIMBCR); and distributing reporting expenses across a broad partnership. Additionally, conservation delivery is greatly facilitated through the sharing of tools developed through the IMBCR partnership. For example tools such as predictive distribution and habitat association models developed through the program, or by one IMBCR partner, may be utilized by the broader IMBCR partnership. THIS PROJECT CONTINUES TO: 1) Work cooperatively in the highest priority habitat(s) for the BLM and UDWR (e.g., riparian) and expand to other habitat types (e.g., shrub steppe) and non-BLM lands though an interactive partnership approach. 2) Create and implement a statistically-robust, spatially-balanced, and unbiased monitoring design that captures and uses regional trends to provide suitable reference context for the assessment of the effects of local management actions. 3) Promote the use of uniform, robust field methods so as to increase data consistency and analytic efficiency through by offering cooperative planning meetings, joint field crew training, shared field protocols and materials, pooled analysis and reporting of shared data, and cooperative data storage and serving. 4) Monitor Migratory and Special Status Bird Species in Utah, specifically their community composition, distribution, abundance, habitat use, and where possible their breeding status. 5) Determine response of select bird species to restoration treatments at mutually agreed upon sites. RESULTS: 1) Pre-season Project annual work plans and trainings were created and shared with partners through monthly pre-season meetings. 2) Annual Final Report of all findings related to surveys (see link above). The Final Annual report includes: a. Regional and local (site- and project- level) annual estimates of bird species densities b. Regional and local (site- and project- level) annual estimates of bird community richness c. Bird response to habitat alterations (such as pest and weed infestations, disease, droughts, habitat restoration efforts, wildfire suppression, or other anthropogenic actions) where available and sampled d. Identification of important habitat areas for landbirds -- this target varies with participating agency priorities and jurisdictions, but all agencies have access to the data and analytic tools to make their own determinations. Further, these data are the backbone of an associated USU MA study of the importance of habitat condition assessments (e.g., LANDFIRE) as predictive covariates in landbird abundances. 4) Supported the development of plans to maintain, protect and improve important habitats to help conserve Migratory Bird and Special Status Species.

We are using these data for the evaluation of priority conservation targets in processes and SWAP workflows such as S-rank revisions, SGCN evaluations, and in the creation of SDHMs. They also provide our management partners (BLM, USFS, DoD, NPS, sister state agencies) with detailed robust data to inform management plans, pre-project planning, and formal NEPA analysis.