The Management Strategy for Migratory Birds on the Mississippi River corridor from
Wabasha, Minnesota, to St. Louis, Missouri (Strategy), is a cooperative effort of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Biological Resources Division of the U.S.
Geological Survey, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Natural
History Survey, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources and is designed to create an "integrated, ecological,
and proactive approach to management of habitats used by migratory bird populations"
within the Upper Mississippi River System. The Migratory Bird Pilot Project was
conducted to determine what types of products could be generated from data collected
through a literature search. The initial literature search was conducted by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, followed by a literature search conducted by the National
Biological Service's Upper Mississippi River Science Center. These data were delivered
to the Environmental Management Technical Center where they were compiled and
entered into a geographic information system (GIS). The information were then
processed for three study sites along the Mississippi River to determine what types of
products could be produced. This report addresses technical issues associated with the
creation of the potential habitat coverages. The results have garnered the support of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the five participating states as a potential and viable
management tool. Follow-up will include the verification of GIS habitat coverages
through ground surveys, expansion to a larger study area for an increased number of
bird species, and the development of tools required for technology transfer to managers
in the field. The data and analysis procedures will be valuable in assisting the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers and participating federal and state agencies in planning and
constructing future Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Projects as part of the
Upper Mississippi River Environment Management Program.
