The sierra madre oriental is a priority biological corridor for migratory birds

This $885,040 federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation (NMBCA) program supports Pronatura Noreste AC, a non-profit organization in Mexico, in implementing a comprehensive habitat conservation and management project in the Sierra Madre Oriental region. The key activities include:

• Protecting over 91,143 acres of critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife across two state protected areas in Tamaulipas, Mexico
• Promoting connectivity between existing and newly established protected areas to enhance habitat for neotropical migratory birds
• Implementing habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, community engagement, and capacity building initiatives in collaboration with local ejidos (communal landowners)
• Addressing threats such as wildfires, deforestation, and unsustainable land use practices to recover important migratory bird habitats

This two-year project, awarded on May 20, 2024, aims to secure legal protections, restore degraded areas, and build local conservation stewardship to benefit migratory bird populations and their critical corridors within the Sierra Madre Oriental region of Mexico.

IT is part of the central flyway and represents a region where birds rest and feed during their migratory route. The main threats are related to wildfires and productive activities such as agriculture livestock forestry and hunting among others which demand large areas showing as a result deforestation and loss of soil. Temperate forests of mexico are considered endangered mostly due to intensive human exploitation. 37 percent of the pine OAK forests have been logged and converted to agricultural lands. In the last 5 years more than 12350 AC have been affected in tamaulipas. In this sense this proposal includes the protection of more than 91143 AC in two state protected areas in tamaulipas. One of these PA monarch butterfly natural landscape was CO created by pronatura noreste in 2022. Particularly this project intends to promote habitat connectivity between EL cielo and the new protected area. Besides implementing management strategies that will recover important habitats for birds and wildlife. Working in collaboration with the ejidos marcela and valle hermoso in miquihuana and ejido avila y urbina in jaumave alta cima gomez farias to manage neotropical migratory bird habitat. Furthermore we will implement activities such as multicriteria analysis bird and wildlife monitoring capacity strengthening training community vigilance and management units creation among others.