USDA Awards $2M Grant to Expand Bird-Friendly Habitat Program

We were thrilled to hear the National Audubon Society announce receiving a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to support the Bird-Friendly Maple program. First developed in Vermont, Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Maple program is a market approach that encourages maple producers to manage their forest stand to support migrating bird habitat and forest resilience with unique product labeling and marketing opportunities.

The loss and degradation of bird habitats have led to a significant decline in bird populations, and the Audubon Society’s Bird-Friendly Maple program improves bird habitats by encouraging participating maple syrup producers to practice forest management practices that allow for the diverse growth that are critical resources for bird species.

“Through Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Maple program, maple producers in the U.S. can commit to sustainable forest management practices that support bird conservation. The USDA grant funding will allow us to scale up the program which started in Vermont in 2014 and empower more small landowners across the Northeast and Midwest to participate in the emerging bird-friendly maple syrup market. This will have a significant impact on how forests and songbirds like Scarlet Tanagers and Wood Thrushes can thrive and adapt to a changing climate,” said Jillian Liner, Director of Conservation for Audubon Vermont.

For the full news story, see Audubon Receives Forest Landowner Support Award for Bird-Friendly Maple Program.