Fish and Wildife Coordination and Assistance Programs

This is an announcement for issuing a single source financial assistance award. This announcement is for notification purposes only. Laguna Merín is a large lagoon located close to the Atlantic Ocean along the border of Uruguay and Brazil. The lagoon and associated wetlands are part of the UNESCO Bañados del Este Biosphere Reserve and is a recognized Ramsar site of international importance (Bañados del Este y Franja Costera). However, little is known on this lagoon as habitat for wildlife, including migratory shorebirds. Recently, through a project funded by the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, several ranches near the lagoon were found to support large numbers of Buff-breasted Sandpipers and American Golden-Plovers; other shorebirds, such as Red Knot, have also been recorded there. The specific goal of the project is to collaborate with private landowners to propose the area as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) site by: 1) working with landowners to include their lands in the WHSRN nomination, 2) managing habitat to conserve ranch lands and wetlands, 3) estimating population sizes of Buff-breasted Sandpipers and American Golden-Plovers on their ranches, and 4) documenting other migrant shorebirds using ranch lands in the lagoon area. This program aligns with Departmental funding Priority #1, creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt, as it promotes natural resource conservation through sustainable use integrating the best science (survey data) for the conservation of migratory shorebirds. By engaging with private landowners, this program aligns with Priority #3, restoring trust with our local communities, by improving relationships and expanding lines of communication to local communities in developing conservation solutions. The program also addresses Priority #7, striking a regulatory balance, by providing information for decisions concerning the ESA-listed Red Knot.