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

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources received a Formula Grant award of $217,192.04 from the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030. The grant supports the Atlantic Flyway Cooperative Research and Survey initiative, which aims to improve the conservation status of waterfowl and other migratory waterbirds across the Atlantic Flyway region. Primary deliverables include population surveys using aerial, boat, and ground-based methodologies; bird banding and tagging programs to track survival, movement, and habitat use; and specialized research projects employing telemetry and color-marking techniques to close knowledge gaps in migratory bird management.

The grant produces critical scientific data on migratory bird population abundance, distribution, and trends that inform adaptive harvest management strategies, conservation plans, and hunting regulations across the Atlantic Flyway Council. The Wildlife Management Institute serves as the primary subrecipient and will coordinate with additional partner entities to execute grant activities. Beneficiaries include waterfowl hunters and the general public who engage in bird watching and recreational hunting. The data generated through this initiative directly supports evidence-based decision-making for regulated migratory bird harvest and long-term species conservation management across multiple states within the Atlantic Flyway.

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.