Land Management
Strategic Driver I
Protect, maintain and restore to native condition habitat required to meet the needs of cranes and other migratory birds in the Central Platte River Valley.
Target 1: Evaluate existing land holdings for importance or value as migratory bird habitat.
Target 2: Prioritize lands for potential acquisition easement or other forms of protection.
Target 3: Review existing land holdings, consider possible sale and retain easements.
Target 4: Manage plant communities to develop more natural condition with new or established methods or techniques (fire, bison etc).
Target 5: Consider management of easements for other organization’s lands and land sales.
Strategic Driver II
Monitor Changes in riparian, wetlands, and other communities as bird habitat along the Platte River.
Target 1: Develop and maintain a GIS system to track changes in habitat conditions.
Target 2: Track changes in available roosting habitat in the river for cranes, quantity and quality.
Target 3: Determine how land management practices (cattle, bison, goats) affect vegetation communities as habitat for migratory birds.
Target 4: Monitor and take measures to reduce or eliminate invasive plants from natural vegetation communities.
Research
Strategic Driver I
To develop a better and more in depth understanding of our ecosystem (riverine system and associated wetlands and grasslands) by developing a systems approach to its study.
Target 1: Determine the hydrological requirements necessary to maintain a healthy riverine and associated wetlands that serve as habitat for cranes and other migratory birds.
Target 2: Determine the importance of wetlands as habitat for cranes and other migratory birds, overall biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Target 3: Develop a functional ecological model to serve as framework for research and management of habitat and wildlife issues.
Strategic Driver II
To develop a better understanding of crane habitat use patterns and factors influencing areas as habitat for roosting, feeding, and loafing.
Target 1: Determine patterns of crane roosting areas on the river in regards to size, permanence, and between year fidelity.
Target 2: Evaluate factors influencing crane roosting such as geospatial elements, water conditions, and disturbance factors.
Target 3: Determine factors influencing crane use of specific fields for foraging in regards proximity to roosts, resource availability, depletion, and competitors.
Strategic Driver III
Develop a better understanding of migratory bird habitat use patterns and factors influencing areas as breeding habitat and stopover habitat.
Target 1: Determine factors influencing distribution and abundance in relation to land management practices.
Target 2: Determine factors influencing population level changes in relation to Trust land management practices.
Target 3: Evaluate availability of grassland bird habitat outside Trust lands.
Strategic Driver IV
Develop a better understanding of how management actions affect plant communities and overall animal biodiversity.
Target 1: Determine how land management practices affect plant communities and other elements of biodiversity (invertebrates and vertebrates).
Target 2: Develop a conceptual model of ecological interactions of the system.
Advocacy
Strategic Driver I
Advocate for maintenance, improvement, restoration, and sustaining of the PRWCMT mission in the Platte River Basin.
Target 1: We speak for cranes and other migratory bird species.
Strategic Driver II
Explore and initiate interactions with public and other groups to promote a better understanding of the Trust’s mission.
Target 1: Explore an educational component to express to the outside our activities to different levels of formal
education groups.
Target 2: Explore an outreach component to reach public and other sectors via non-formal education activities.
Administration
Strategic Driver I
Maintain and Increase our level of funding and support for Trust activities via fund raising and appropriate management.
Strategic Driver II
Maintain and enhance the Trust’s work environment that promotes staff involvement and projects integration throughout the organization. The Trust will provide the appropriate infrastructure and funding conducive to development of world class research and conservation organization.