In January 1999, two of the United States' major forces in wildlife conservation - Ducks Unlimited and the Forest Service - signed an agreement to expand their cooperative work beyond their home country's borders.

Together, with other organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. State Department, The Nature Conservancy, and many others, they are collaborating and sharing information with conservationists from around the world. This work builds on the solid success from ongoing partnerships such as the Western Boreal Forest Initiative and the RESERVA continuing education program for conservation professionals in Mexico and Latin America.

Increasing our Understanding of the World's Largest Freshwater Wetland
The extensive floodplain of the Paraguay River stretches out across the borders of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay to form the Pantanal. This area covers over 37 million acres, of which 27 million are wetlands making it the world's largest continuous freshwater wetland. The Pantanal provides habitat for over 600 bird species and 260 fish species.

Part of this huge area is preserved. However, much of the region is unprotected and proposed for development. Clearing of land, cattle, mining, power plant construction, indiscriminate tourism, hunting, gas and oil pipelines, channelization for barge navigation, and road building are threatening this rich and unique ecosystem.

The governments of Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay are working together to conserve the natural resources of the Pantanal and make decisions on the development of the area. They have requested that Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and the Forest Service work with the government agencies, universities, and local non-governmental organizations to establish a comprehensive natural resource database for the entire Pantanal watershed.

Specifically, the Forest Service Office of International Programs and The Nature Conservancy are collaborating with local partners to complete an eco-regional assessment outlining management options for watershed protection, conservation of biological diversity, and sustainable resource use. Concurrently, Ducks Unlimited and the Forest Service are developing a GIS database to manage several existing data types in a common format that will be accessible and practicable for use by multiple groups and organizations.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands - COP7
In May 1999, San José, Costa Rica graciously hosted the seventh Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands - COP7 (The Ramsar Convention). The USDA Forest Service, along with the U. S. Department of State, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Terrene Institute participated in this conference as part of the official U. S. Delegation.

COP7 provided the perfect audience for the Forest Service and Ducks Unlimited to demonstrate the many uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in managing and protecting important wetland systems. Much of the presentation came from hands-on experience working with wetlands in North America.

Specifically, the successful partnership work from the Copper River Delta on the Chugach National Forest (Alaska) provided a positive example of information gained from GIS leading to better management decisions. This workshop had the highest attendance of any of the COP7 technical workshops, stimulating many discussions and launching new and exciting partnerships among many in attendance.

Partners to Restore Nariva Swamp
The twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago joined the Ramsar Convention in 1993 and designated Nariva Swamp as its first "Wetland of International Importance." Historically, Nariva provided diverse habitat for numerous species, including many birds migrating from the United States and Canada.

As a result of illegal activities such as clearing, burning, and draining the wetland, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago formally requested that Nariva be included in the "Montreux Record." The Montreux Record is a register of Ramsar sites where adverse changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.

This designation allowed a special Ramsar technical mission to work with the governmental agencies, local citizens and groups, and non-governmental organizations to analyze the situation and prepare recommendations for action. The Trinidad and Tobago government began to take action on these recommendations by removing the unauthorized farming operations.

During the Ramsar COP7, the delegation from Trinidad and Tobago requested that the Forest Service and Ducks Unlimited visit Nariva and begin a partnership for developing work plans in response to the recommendations from the Ramsar mission. The partners, in concert, have now developed plans to address wildfires, the need for appropriate prescribed fire, restoring wetland hydrology, and managing aquatic and forest vegetation. Collaboration continues as the partners await the next dry season to implement these plans. To learn more about DU's Latin America and Caribbean program click here.