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Courtesy: Walker Golder. Audubon-NC teamed up with a local land trust and the State of North Carolina to launch the Lea-Hutaff Conservation Initiative with the goal of acquiring the island for conservation. After passage of special state legislation, the approval of two significant grant requests, and the donation of private funds, enough monies were secured to purchase significant portions of this IBA.

The IBA Program helps birds by setting science-based priorities for habitat conservation and promoting positive action to safeguard vital bird habitats.

The identification of IBAs is an important first step in larger bird conservation initiatives. IBA inventories provide a scientifically defensible method for prioritizing conservation activities and allocating limited conservation dollars to ensure the maximum benefit to birds.

The IBA Program offers opportunities for participation by volunteer, citizen scientists, in projects such as monitoring programs, which provide much needed data. Such participation promotes local stewardship and advocacy. The IBA program is therefore a starting point for site-based conservation efforts, and stakeholders are included in the process at many levels.

Conservation activities at IBAs reflect the unique circumstances of each site (e.g. size, location, and ownership). For example, public areas may be conserved by open-space acquisition and by working with land managers to improve habitat management practices for key species of birds. Private lands may be conserved through public-private partnerships such as easements, and through landowner education.

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) is an attempt to coordinate bird conservation efforts throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. The IBA Program contributes to this initiative by identifying the most important sites at which to implement large-scale conservation efforts to ensure the protection of all bird species in all habitats. Audubon has agreements with two of the NABCI partners (the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan) to identify IBAs throughout the country that support significant shorebird and waterbird populations. Audubon also works in cooperation with Partners in Flight to identify IBAs that are critical for landbirds.