EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

To help provide background for a discussion on All-Bird Conservation in Montana and the appropriate roles of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and the Montana Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP), FWP developed a survey to take inventory of partners, missions, resources, data sets, data gaps, and the various needs related to All-Bird Conservation in the state. This questionnaire was sent to 58 contacts in the Montana bird world, and we received 44 responses. Participants ’ remarks were candid and provide an overview of participation in bird conservation in the state and opinions on direction for the future. In brief: • Many responses reiterated a common theme: a desire for more engagement from FWP in nongame birds, and a need to share information on opportunities, coordinate efforts, create dynamic partnerships, and leverage funds to realize All-Bird Conservation on the ground. • There was remarkable consistency in the respondents ’ primary conservation concerns: that is, degradation and loss of native prairie, grassland, riparian and wetland habitats across the state, and the energy and urban development and ecological alterations that are driving that loss. • Respondents envision a broad array of possible and needed actions for bird conservation, ranging from development policies to best management practices, incentive programs for lands conservation, an