The purpose of the atlantic flyway cooperative research and survey grant proposalis to improve the status of waterfowl and other migratory waterbirds in the atlantic flyway

New Hampshire Fish & Game received a formula grant of $214,791.96 from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611), awarded October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2030. The grant funds the Atlantic Flyway Cooperative Research and Survey initiative, which improves waterfowl and migratory waterbird populations across the Atlantic Flyway through population monitoring and data collection. Key deliverables include conducting aerial, boat, and ground-based surveys on breeding grounds to generate population estimates; capturing and banding birds with numbered leg tags to track survival, movement, and habitat use patterns; and implementing specialized research techniques such as telemetry and color marking to address specific knowledge gaps.

The grant produces critical scientific data on migratory bird population abundance, distribution, and trends that directly inform conservation plans, adaptive harvest management strategies, and hunting regulations managed by the Atlantic Flyway Council. Data collection supports regulated harvest decisions benefiting waterfowl hunters and the general public. The Wildlife Management Institute serves as the primary subrecipient under this award, coordinating implementation and engaging additional entities as needed to conduct the required fieldwork and analysis across the Atlantic Flyway region.

The atlantic flyway council contains representatives from all the government agencies that have management responsibility for migratory bird resources in the flyway. The council determines actions required for sound migratory game bird management, including collecting information about populations in order to support regulated harvest. Data collection typically involves visiting the breeding grounds to conduct surveys (aerial, boat, ground) that are used to extrapolate population estimates to specific land areas. Birds are also captured, and marked with numbered tags (typically leg bands) to help understand survival, movement, and habitat use at multiple scales. Specific research project goals utilizing specialty techniques (telemetry, color markers, etc) are often incorporated to close knowledge gaps and inform future decisions. The expected outcomes include providing invaluable information on migratory bird population abundance, distribution, and trends. The data are used to update a wide variety of conservation plans, adaptive harvest management strategies, and hunting regulations.beneficiaries include waterfowl hunters and members of the public who enjoy seeing or hunting waterfowl and other waterbirds.subrecipients under this grant include the wildlife management institute, who will engage additional entities as needed to carry out the implementation of this grant.