Eastern Steppe Living Landscape Project Update
Wildlife Conservation Society
posted by Skip Waskin on Thursday, May 18, 2006, 3:09AM
Country Director returns. WCS Country Program Director Amanda
Fine returned to Mongolia in April. Plans for the upcoming field season in the
Eastern Steppe are underway with an anticipated start date of mid-May.
Wildlife trade laws and protection. A guide to Mongolian
wildlife trade law, wildlife protection, and wildlife monitoring is under development
for use in pilot wildlife protection training to be conducted in partnership
with the State Border Defense Agency and park rangers in Nomrog Strictly Protected
Area.
Project/donor coordination. WCS staff attended a workshop
on April 21 to provide input on the development of a Dutch government and Ministry
of Nature and Environment (MNE) funded project to establish a “National
Geo-Information Center for Natural Resource Management” in Mongolia. The
workshop was opened by new MNE Minister Erdenebaatar. At this forum, the WCS-led
effort to present an alternative to the construction of a bridge in the Nomrog
Strictly Protected Area of the Eastern Steppe was used by an MNE official as
an example of the importance of the application of geographic information systems
(GIS) and analysis in development and wildlife conservation planning.
Eastern Steppe GIS/RS database. The WCS GIS and Remote Sensing
specialist returned in April from one month of training in the WCS New York
office. He is updating and enhancing the current GIS database of the Eastern
Steppe in preparation for the Landscape Species Selection process, which will
lead to the creation of species Conservation Landscapes for the Eastern Steppe
based on the diverse ecological needs of key wildlife species and the geographic
location and severity of wildlife/human conflict.
Important bird areas. A detailed map of the Important Bird
Areas (IBAs) on the Eastern Steppe has been created based on surveys conducted
in 2004. This map will assist communities and wildlife managers working to protect
these important breeding grounds and congregation sites.
Eastern Steppe Living Landscape Project Update
Wildlife Conservation Society
posted by Skip Waskin on Monday, April 17, 2006, 4:05AM
In March, the Mongolia Program’s GIS and Remote Sensing specialist completed
a month of training with the WCS Living Landscapes Program staff in New York.
Planning for this summer’s field season continued and WCS Country Program
Director Amanda Fine prepared for an April return to Mongolia.
Landscape Species Selection: Collection of available data
on a list of candidate species for the landscape species selection process for
the Eastern Steppe continued in March. This will be an ongoing process and is
an important step in the identification of conservation landscapes based on
the diverse ecological needs of key wildlife species and the geographic location
and severity of wildlife/human conflict.
Important Bird Areas (Eastern Steppe): A detailed map of the
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) on the Eastern Steppe has been created and will
be used to assist land and wildlife managers to identify and work to protect
these important breeding grounds and congregation sites.
Siberian Marmot Population Assessment: Dr. Sue Townsend, a
small mammal expert, agreed in March to return to Mongolia this summer to assist
with the assessment of marmot populations across the Eastern Steppe and to help
develop improved management plans in cooperation with Mongolian scientists and
wildlife managers.
Wildlife Trade Laws and Protection: WCS staff worked closely
with the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia in March to prepare and submit a proposal
on “Building Mongolia’s Capacity to Stop the Illegal and Unsustainable
Trade in Wildlife” to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Oceans and
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. The proposal seeks one year
of funding.
Avian Influenza: WCS continued to work closely with Mercy
Corps/Mongolia and the USAID mission on plans to expand avian influenza surveillance
and preparedness in Mongolia.
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