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| Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture | |
|---|---|
| Name | Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture |
| Abbreviation | UMRGLRJV |
| Formation | 1986 |
| Type | Conservation partnership |
| Region served | Upper Mississippi River Mississippi River basin; Great Lakes |
| Headquarters | La Crosse, Wisconsin |
| Parent organization | North American Waterfowl Management Plan |
Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture is a landscape-scale conservation partnership focused on wetland, waterfowl, and grassland habitat in the Upper Mississippi River basin and the Great Lakes watershed. The partnership coordinates habitat restoration, management, monitoring, and planning across multiple states and federal regions to implement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and related initiatives. It engages federal agencies, state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to deliver conservation actions for migratory birds and associated species.
The Joint Venture operates as one of several regional components of the continental North American Waterfowl Management Plan, linking regional priorities with national strategies established by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources. Its scope spans portions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario, coordinating with landscape-scale efforts such as the Prairie Pothole Region initiatives and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The partnership emphasizes habitat-based outcomes for species listed under the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and supports objectives of the Partners in Flight and Boreal Forest Conservation Framework where overlapping.
The Joint Venture was established in the mid-1980s in response to declining waterfowl populations highlighted by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (1986). Early collaborators included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, state departments such as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and non-profit partners like Ducks Unlimited and the National Audubon Society. The region’s conservation lineage draws on earlier programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program and wetland protections influenced by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Over subsequent decades, the partnership refined a strategic plan aligning with initiatives from the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and coordination with the Great Lakes Commission.
Geographically, the Joint Venture encompasses the navigable Upper Mississippi River, major tributaries including the Missouri River headwaters region and the Ohio River watershed margins, and the southern and western basins of the Great Lakes, including nearshore habitats of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Habitat types managed include prairie remnant grasslands, wetlands such as marsh and fen systems, floodplain forest along the Mississippi River Flyway, and coastal wetland complexes adjacent to Saginaw Bay and the Green Bay (Lake Michigan). Key conservation landscapes intersect with federal units like the National Wildlife Refuge System and state wildlife management areas.
The Joint Venture’s strategic plan sets population and habitat objectives for waterfowl species including mallard, wood duck, and canvasback, and for other migratory birds like sandhill crane and yellow-headed blackbird. Objectives align with measurable outcomes under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and incorporate adaptive management frameworks similar to those used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the Breeding Bird Survey and Landbird Conservation Strategy. Emphasis is placed on protecting priority habitat blocks, restoring degraded wetland function, and enhancing connectivity across the Mississippi Flyway.
The Joint Venture functions through a steering committee and technical teams composed of representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state natural resource agencies (e.g., Ohio Department of Natural Resources), non-profits such as The Nature Conservancy and Pheasants Forever, and academic partners like University of Minnesota and Michigan State University. Coordination occurs with federal partners including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where coastal restoration intersects Great Lakes work, and with international programs facilitated by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Signature programs include large-scale wetland restoration and grassland easement work, collaborative projects with Ducks Unlimited for seasonal marsh enhancement, and riverine habitat rehabilitation in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Projects have targeted floodplain reconnection on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, native prairie restoration adjacent to the Driftless Area, and invasive species management linked to Great Lakes Restoration Initiative priorities.
Funding streams comprise federal appropriations administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, grants from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, state conservation funds, and private contributions through partners like The Conservation Fund. Resource allocation is prioritized via the strategic plan to focus investments in high-return landscapes identified through spatial modeling approaches used by collaborators at the U.S. Geological Survey and university research groups.
Monitoring employs standardized protocols such as the Breeding Bird Survey, waterfowl survey indices coordinated with the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, and habitat monitoring consistent with the National Wetlands Inventory. Research partnerships with institutions including Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin–Madison have evaluated outcomes for target species and informed adaptive management. Documented outcomes include restored wetlands, increased grassland acreage under conservation easements, and contributions to regional waterfowl population stability observed in continental assessments by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.