1. From Concept to Implementation: Moving Towards Coherence in Waterfowl Management Jim Ringelman Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

2. Waterfowl management… a complex business

3. HarvestHabitat

4. HarvestHabitat Habitat affects size of waterfowl populations

5. HarvestHabitat Harvest pressure affects use of habitat Habitat affects size of waterfowl populations

6. HarvestHabitat Hunters Harvest pressure affects use of habitat Habitat affects size of waterfowl populations Perceived desires of hunters drive harvest management decisions

7. HarvestHabitat Hunters Harvest pressure affects use of habitat Habitat affects size of waterfowl populations Realized and potential harvest opportunity affect hunter satisfaction Perceived desires of hunters drive harvest management decisions

8. HarvestHabitat Hunters Harvest pressure affects use of habitat Habitat affects size of waterfowl populations Habitat affects hunter satisfaction by providing places to hunt and determining the distribution and abundance of birds Realized and potential harvest opportunity affect hunter satisfaction Perceived desires of hunters drive harvest management decisions

9. HarvestHabitat Hunters Harvest pressure affects use of habitat Habitat affects size of waterfowl populations Hunters provide financial and political support for habitat programs Habitat affects hunter satisfaction by providing places to hunt and determining the distribution and abundance of birds Realized and potential harvest opportunity affect hunter satisfaction Perceived desires of hunters drive harvest management decisions

10. How well do we understand the interactions?

11.  How important is one relative to the others?  Do we understand the underlying drivers?  What are the implications to waterfowl management if one or more linkages weakens or disappears?  Is there a need for structured decision- making to ensure coordination and coherence? How well do we understand the interactions?

12. Turning Point Question When you have a choice of whether or not to use information from models to make management decisions, you: 1. Use models a little 2. Use models some; mostly other factors 3. Give equal weight to models and other factors 4. Use models heavily, along with other factors 5. Use models almost exclusively

13. Intuitive (implicit) models often create confusion and controversy  The Adaptive Harvest Management lesson Biological uncertainties Agree on process; competing models  The scaup controversy Why restrict hunting when harvest has nothing to do with the scaup decline? A need to incorporate habitat variables We’re going to lose diving duck hunters and destroy waterfowling traditions A need for hunter objectives

14. Desired outcomes from structured decision-making  Coherent objectives Harvest, habitat, and hunter objectives that all flow together  Coherent models Integrated models that link habitat changes to demographic changes to continental population status to harvest potential

15.  Coherent monitoring Monitoring of habitat, population, harvest, and hunter satisfaction in an integrated way  Coherent management actions Habitat management, harvest regulations, and interactions with hunters, all of which are mutually reinforcing Desired outcomes from structured decision-making

16. Implications of structured decision-making  Coherence will require explicit, multiple objectives  Multiple objectives will lead to multiple tradeoffs  Structured decision-making offers: Transparent goals and assumptions The opportunity for formal, integrated models A greater opportunity for learning Increased management efficiencies

17. Where to from here?  Explore linkages among harvest, habitat and hunters Mike Runge – harvest in the context of habitat and hunters John Eadie – habitat in the context of harvest and hunters Andy Raedeke – hunters in the context of habitat and harvest  From the established/familiar to the un- established/less familiar; not necessarily in rank order of importance!

18. Expectations  Think strategically, not tactically Don’t lose sight of the big picture Be open-minded and objective Be inquisitive and creative Be a participant, not an observer  Keep expectations realistic May not leave with solutions Hope to identify a clear path forward Complex, difficult task

19. The potential upsides…  “Better” waterfowl population and habitat objectives Derived from explicit estimates of the quantity of birds desired for harvest, and in consideration of environmental and social objectives  “Simpler” hunting regulations Potential for a harvest strategy that does not chase populations in response to uncontrollable, short-term environmental conditions  “More effective” management Coordinated population, habitat, and hunter objectives lead to more efficient use of staff and help stretch shrinking budgets