Goal: To monitor or track all breeding birds in spruce-fir habitat to document distribution, population trends, and abundance in a statistically acceptable manner.

Objective: All species with AI > 2 will be monitored with count-based methods.

Strategy: Monitoring will be accomplished through the combined efforts of agencies with primary responsibility for managing this habitat.

Strategy: Monitoring efforts will continue to rely on BBS data, with CBO's Monitoring Colorado's Birds (MCB) data incorporated as it becomes available.

Status: MCB implemented spruce-fir habitat transects in 1998 and ran a total of 23 transects in 1999; trend data should be available for most species within 5-12 years.

Objective: All species with AI 2 will be tracked through count-based methods or their presence/absence noted in the state.

Strategy: The MCB monitoring program will address this.

Status: MCB was implemented in spruce-fir habitat in 1999.

Objective: All species with PT of 4 or 5 will be tracked with demographic monitoring.

Strategy: CBO's MCB monitoring program will address this.

Status: MCB demographic monitoring will begin in 2001.

Habitat Monitoring

Goal: To document the amount, condition, and ownership of spruce-fir habitat in Colorado.

Objective: Develop collaborative efforts to use GIS in mapping spruce-fir habitat, documenting amount, condition, and ownership.

Status: This effort has not been initiated to date. Potential collaborators include CDOW, CNHP, CBO, USGS, USFS, and TNC.

Habitat Core Areas

Goal: To conserve unique representatives and/or large, ecologically-functioning examples of spruce-fir habitat in Colorado used during the breeding season, during migration, and/or during the winter.

Objective: Identify such areas, use agency- or organization-specific means of designating and conserving them, and work with the appropriate agency or organization to promote conservation activities.

Status: Appropriate areas that have been identified include USFS Research Natural Areas (Gothic in Gunnison County, Saddle Mountain in Park County), USFS Wilderness Areas, and Colorado Natural Areas Program sites.

Objective: Identify any of these areas that are appropriate for designation as Important Bird Areas (IBAs), nominate them, and promote involvement of local groups in conserving these areas once they are designated.

Status: Sites with spruce-fir habitat were nominated in 1999, and the IBA committee will make final selections in 2000.

Objective: To maintain or increase the quantity and quality of spruce-fir habitat on private lands.

Strategy: Encourage landowners to take advantage of funding opportunities and expertise for creating, restoring, and maintaining spruce-fir habitat on their properties.

Strategy: Promote collaboration/cooperation between agencies, organizations, and individuals in conserving unique representatives/core areas with multiple ownership.

Objective: To maintain or increase the quantity and quality of spruce-fir habitat on public lands.

Strategy: Integrate the BCP into management plans for public lands in the physiographic area.

Objective: To recreate the heterogeneous landscape mosaic of prehistory so that breeding birds are always offered a patchwork of forested parcels in a variety of structural stages and densities.

Strategy: Incorporate landscape-scale habitat management into management plans for public and private lands.

Strategy: Allow wildfires to burn and allow insect outbreaks to run their courses.

Site-based Conservation

Goal: To conserve local breeding sites, migratory stopover sites, and wintering sites in spruce-fir that are important for the conservation of priority species.

Objective: Identify agency- or organization-specific means of designating and conserving key local sites. Work with appropriate agencies and organizations to designate such sites, and promote conservation activities.

Objective: Identify key local sites that are appropriate for designation as IBAs, nominate them, and promote involvement of local groups in conserving these areas once they are designated.

Status: Sites with spruce-fir habitat were nominated in 1999, and the IBA committee will make final selections in 2000.

Management Practices

Goal: To promote management practices that benefit birds in spruce-fir habitats.

Objective: A Best Management Practices (BMP) manual will be produced and distributed.

Status: Not yet initiated.

Objective: Identify key landowners and land managers and encourage them to incorporate best management practices to conserve spruce-fir birds and their habitat.

Interstate/International Wintering Grounds

Goal: To conserve the wintering ground habitat used by birds of spruce-fir forests.

Objective: Track the amount of habitat available on the wintering grounds.

Strategy: Utilize GIS (state GAP projects, Heritage Program, and/or CBO).

Strategy: Coordinate with appropriate state PIFs, domestic and foreign government agencies, and NGOs to obtain data.

Objective: Protect key tracts of wintering habitat.

Strategy: Identify the wintering distribution and key habitat associations of priority species.

Strategy: Coordinate with appropriate state PIFs, domestic and foreign government agencies, and NGOs to protect wintering habitat through Habitat Core Areas and Site-based Conservation goals and objectives.

Migration Concerns

Goal: To protect migratory stopover habitat of birds of spruce-fir forests as they migrate outside of the state.

Objective: Identify important migratory stopover areas for priority species that breed in Colorado, and key sites for priority species that breed elsewhere.

Objective: Track amount, condition, and ownership of key migratory stopover sites.

Strategy: Coordinate with appropriate state PIFs, domestic and foreign government agencies, and NGOs to protect migratory habitat through Habitat Core Areas and Site-based Conservation goals and objectives.

Outreach and Education

Goal: To provide information on spruce-fir birds (conservation, habitat needs, natural history, etc.) to children, teachers, naturalists, landowners, natural resource professionals, and other interested parties.

Strategy: Make educational materials available at local nature centers and natural resource agency offices.

Strategy: Hold workshops and field programs for teachers.

Strategy: Hold workshops and field programs for natural resource professionals (CDOW and USFS staff).

Strategy: Present information at Teacher Association meetings, conferences, other annual meetings.

Strategy: Submit manuscripts to popular magazines for children and adults.

Research Priorities

Goal: To identify and facilitate research that will aid in understanding and managing spruce-fir habitats for Colorado's birds.

Objective: To identify the top ten research needs in spruce-fir habitat in Colorado.

Strategy: Update the list of research needs annually to reflect shifting conservation priorities and to remove research needs from the list as they are investigated.

Strategy: Solicit input from researchers and managers on research needs and accomplishments.

Status: The following research needs have been identified:

1. The numerical and spatial distribution of disturbance-caused patches, by size and structural stages, across the pre-settlement landscape.

2. Management practices (prescribed burns, timber harvesting) that may be used to mimic the outcome of natural disturbances.

Strategy: Facilitate investigations to answer these questions by providing information about priority needs to universities, public and private research entities, identifying funding sources, and promoting collaboration between management and research agencies.