This year marks 40 years of partnership-driven bird and habitat conservation led by the North American Migratory Bird Joint Ventures!
Since the North American Waterfowl Management Plan called for their creation in 1986, the Joint Ventures have become widely accepted as the model for cooperative conservation. Joint Ventures share a vision of a North American landscape where people work together to help birds thrive. In these challenging times, Joint Ventures are more important than ever to ensure a sustainable future for wildlife and people.
To celebrate the strong legacy of the Joint Ventures and our successful partnerships across North America, the Association of Joint Venture Management Boards hosted a reception during the 2026 JV visit to DC.
As part of the celebration, 11 partners across the Migratory Bird Joint Venture network received a Conservation Champion Award. Among the award recipients were Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance (nominated by the NGPJV and the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture) and ConocoPhillips (nominated by the JV8 Central Grasslands Conservation Initiative and the Intermountain West Joint Venture). Congratulations to our partners for their outstanding contribution to conserving grasslands across the Northern Great Plains and beyond.
