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.