Nature Conservancy Magazine features migratory bird management strategies in the Sacramento Valley

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The continuing severe drought in California has raised even greater concerns about the migratory bird populations along the Pacific Flyway.  Fortunately, some ongoing work by TNC, the Audubon Society, Cornell and Point Blue Conservation Science is working to address this management problem. 

Forty-two farms in the Sacramento Valley this year participated in a new program called "BirdReturns". Farmers delayed draining fields in order to provide habitat for birds during spring migration. Conservation groups hope to tune this payment for services model and expand the program to other agricultural lands such as corn and alfalfa fields that occur further south in the San Joaquin Valley. See the full story here: 
http://magazine.nature.org/features/on-the-wing.xml