Recommendations for Monitoring Saltmarsh Sparrows on Salt Marsh Restoration Projects
Saltmarsh Sparrow Restoration Monitoring Guidance
This year the ACJV worked with the Saltmarsh Habitat and Avian Research Program, the USFWS Coastal and Migratory Bird Programs, and Ducks Unlimited to develop guidance for monitoring Saltmarsh Sparrows at restoration sites. This document includes suggestions for when to begin sampling, how long and often to conduct it, and suggestions for sampling design given different scenarios. This guidance document will soon be available on our website and is available for use by partners. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has also adopted these suggestions as their recommended guidance for monitoring at restoration sites supported by their coastal initiatives, and has provided initial coordination and implementation funding to support saltmarsh sparrow monitoring at restoration sites in 2024 (see funding updates).Partners interested in learning more can contact Mo Correll (maureen_correll@fws.gov).
State Restoration Guidance Documents and Mapping Tool
Last year, the ACJV began an effort to identify marshes in each state that are in need of restoration action to benefit the Saltmarsh Sparrow. This effort led to a set of state guidance documents that summarize priority marshes and management recommendations for each state (available here). We are currently in the middle of an update of these documents, and expect to finish this update in the first half of 2024. Please take a look at the Virginia document for an example of how they will all soon appear! We have also updated our saltmarsh sparrow mapper to include any changes made to marsh boundaries, and the mapper now includes presence/absence information for saltmarsh sparrows from the regional SHARP tidal marsh bird surveys completed in 2021 and 2022.