2026 marks the 40th anniversary of North American Migratory Bird Joint Ventures. Since the North American Waterfowl Management Plan called for their creation in 1986, the Joint Ventures have become widely accepted as the model for cooperative conservation.
Pacific Birds celebrated this milestone year at the annual Association of Joint Venture Management Boards (AJVMB) fly-in to Washington, DC. On February 25, we joined hundreds of Joint Venture staff, Board members, and partners at a Celebration of Partnerships reception on Capitol Hill. This event honored the strong, effective partnerships that have been essential to flyway-scale bird conservation.
Congratulations to the 2026 Conservation Champion Award Winners!
Over their 40-year history, Joint Ventures have worked with more than 5,700 non-governmental organizations, public agencies, private landowners, Tribes, corporations, universities, and other partners. These partnerships have enabled the conservation of over 33 million acres of habitat, as well as cutting-edge scientific research, strategic communications and outreach, and effective planning and resource management actions.
At the Celebration of Partnerships reception on February 25, the AJVMB honored eleven organizations and individuals with North American Migratory Bird Joint Venture Conservation Champion Awards. Each honoree has demonstrated long-term commitment to advancing the multi-benefit work of the Joint Ventures.
Pacific Birds is proud to announce that two of our partners received Conservation Champion Awards at this event: the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network and the Office of Senator Mazie Hirono. Congratulations, and thank you for your leadership and dedication. We look forward to continued thriving partnerships!
2026 Conservation Champions:
- NGO: Audubon Southwest
- Conservation Professional: Kevin Gregory (Eagle Land Transformation, LLC) and Jim Leafloor (Canadian Wildlife Service)
- Private Landowner: Kim Brackett (Brackett Ranches) and Ruperto Cazares
- Legislator: The Office of Senator Mazie K. Hirono
- Indigenous Partner: Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance
- Regional Partnership: Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network
- Agency Partner: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
- Industry Partner: Conoco Phillips
- Special Recognition: Bill Bartush
Thank You to the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network
Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON) was honored with the Regional Partnership Award! Thank you to our KSON partners who were able to attend the reception and accept the award:
- Jaime Stephens from Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO)
- Marko Bey, Belinda Brown, Tom Greco, Adam Lohman, and Allayana Martinez-Darrow from Lomakatsi Restoration Project
- CalLee Davenport, formerly of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
KSON is a powerhouse partnership driving oak conservation across southern Oregon and northern California. Since 2011, KSON partners have restored thousands of acres of oak habitat by removing encroaching conifers, applying prescribed fire, and planting native understory. Through aligning the strengths of Tribes, public agencies, non-profits, and private landowners, the KSON partnership supports at-risk birds, recovers native plants, and reconnects people to these landscapes.
KSON’s leadership has also paved the way for eight additional oak and prairie partnerships, multiplying its impact and creating a durable model for collaborative conservation that is building wildfire-resilient communities and forests across the Pacific Northwest. KSON's approach demonstrates that when partnerships are central, restoration is scaled, adaptive, and lasting.
Thank You to the Office of Senator Mazie Hirono
The Office of Senator Hirono was honored with the Legislator Award. The Office has demonstrated exceptional leadership and support for wetland conservation across Hawaiʻi. Senator Hirono’s staff, particularly Laʻakea Stone, have been energetic champions through active participation in the Pacific Birds Hawaiʻi Wetlands Committee, securing funding and other support, and working with partners to co-develop legislation in support of wetland conservation.
The Office also brings a deep respect for the cultural connections to wai (water) and ʻāina (land), ensuring that conservation efforts honor both ecological and cultural values. Taken together, these efforts have nurtured partnerships with diverse organizations across Hawaiʻi.
