Please read this carefully before completing the Nomination Form. After you read and understand the criteria, check the corresponding box(es) in the Criteria section of the Nomination Form that you think match your site. Standardized criteria are used to evaluate sites nominated as IBAs, but these criteria should not be considered absolute, and some discretion may be used in assessing nominations. The key question is always: Is this site important to the long-term viability and conservation of naturally occurring bird populations in Wisconsin?

GENERAL GUIDELINES

As a general rule, a site will qualify as an Important Bird Area if it meets the following conditions:

• It provides essential habitat for a naturally occurring population of one or more species of birds in the state (it will therefore generally exclude introduced species, feral populations, and areas that are predominantly human in origin, such as landfills).

• It meets one or more of the criteria described below.

REMEMBER, the IBA designation is for sites that are truly important for birds, not necessarily for bird watching. If you know of a site that is good place to watch birds or other wildlife, your nomination is welcome at the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail website.

There is no minimum or maximum size for an IBA. Whenever possible, a site should be large enough to encompass most of the needs of the birds for which the site is important. It should be small enough to allow the practical implementation of conservation measures. The site should be distinguishable from the surrounding landscape in habitat, character, or ornithological importance. Boundaries commonly used to delimit IBAs include roads, watercourses and other geographic features, and administrative boundaries.

An IBA should exist as a protected or potentially protected area, or be an area that can be managed for conservation. An IBA may occur on public or private land, or a combination.

A site may be significant at the state, national, continental, or global level. Similar criteria are used at each level, but the thresholds for national sites are higher than those for state sites, and so on. The criteria used here are state-level criteria. Sites that appear to meet the national or higher criteria will be reviewed at the national level.

CRITERIA CATEGORIES

WI-1  Site is important to one or more species listed as endangered or threatened in Wisconsin.

WI-2  Site is important to one or more species identified as high conservation priorities in Wisconsin.

WI-3  Site harbors an assemblage of species associated with a habitat type that is representative, rare, or threatened in Wisconsin.

WI-4  Site where significant numbers of birds concentrate for breeding, migration/staging, or wintering.

WI-5  Site is important for long-term research and/or monitoring projects that contribute substantially to ornithology, bird conservation and/or education.