2007 Goals of the Georgia IBA Program: - Submit and receive NFWF grant and matching sources for on-the-ground conservation program - Place all site information in National Audubon's IBA database - Nominate select Georgia sites for Global IBA recognition - Continue to build partnerships, resources and programming to benefit birds and their habitats in Georgia Ossabaw Island Recognized! {link:Click here |http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/georgia/Ossabaw Dedication.pdf}to read about the recent event. Georgia's Important Bird Areas Program, in existence since 2000 and funded primarily through the Atlanta Audubon Society, with support from the Albany, Augusta-Aiken, Coastal Georgia, Columbus, Ocmulgee, Oconee Rivers, Ogeechee Audubon Societies, and the Georgia Ornithological Society, has identified 49 IBAs and has recognized a dozen of these through dedication ceremonies. The program's current emphasis is on monitoring the bird populations at these sites, with the help of birders from local Audubon Chapters, and improving the survey methods used in assessing bird numbers at these sites. We are also researching and evaluating the implementation of a Conservation Program on select priority species and Georgia IBA sites. The IBA program in Georgia has partnered with many conservation groups throughout the state, including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, federal agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and non-profit organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Forest Watch, Georgia Ornithological Society, and many others. Our mission is to identify, monitor, conserve and enhance bird habitats in Georgia. Updated 15 June 2007