Project Location: Arizona
Species Group: Landbirds, Game birds
Habitat: Grasslands, Aridlands
Grantee: Altar Valley Conservation Alliance
Project Award: $12,031.00

The Altar Valley Conservation Alliance (AVCA) was awarded $12,031 to support the implementation of a Masked Bobwhite Quail Safe Harbor Agreement that would encourage landowners in the Altar Valley and Tohono O’odham Nation in southeastern Arizona to support conservation activities that benefit the Masked Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi), a Federally endangered species. Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge leads the Masked Bobwhite Quail Recovery Program, which is releasing captive-bred birds back on the landscape. The quail have recently begun to expand beyond the refuge boundaries, leading to the need for a safe harbor agreement. This project supports ongoing collaboration between Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, and Tohono O’odham Nation. The AVCA will lead outreach activities for landowners, create an informational database and map, develop landowner sub-agreements, and make programmatic adjustments based on community and governmental feedback. Partnership with the Tohono O’odham Nation and inclusion of a field coordinator to focus on these partnerships is a unique and important aspect of this project. SJV Awards Program funding will provide the opportunity to get this important initiative underway, creating a path for continued program implementation.

To learn more about this project, contact Sarah King.