Massachusetts Important Bird Areas

IBA Site Nomination Process

In an effort to further the conservation of birds and their habitats, Mass Audubon, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a number of other cooperators sought information on sites that might qualify as Important Bird Areas in Massachusetts, from December 2000 to June 2002.

Who Nominated IBAs?

Volunteers from both the technical committee and the public nominated IBAs. This process relied on the collective knowledge of environmentalists, birders, and professional conservationists. For a site to be nominated, it had to meet certain criteria, and be approved for nomination by IBA staff. Nominations were submitted that described a site's adherence to these criteria and the extent to which the criteria were supported by data on the abundance and diversity of birds that use the site. Nomination forms, along with maps and supporting documentation, were submitted to Mass Audubon IBA staff. A deadline for submitting nominations was set for January 31, 2003. Final nomination forms were then reviewed and voted on by the IBA technical committee.

How many nominations were received?

A total of 90 nominations were received and presented to the technical committee. Of these nominations, 79 sites were selected for IBA designation. Few sites were rejected, due to the fact that potential sites were carefully screened by IBA staff prior to submission. In a few cases the committee decided to merge several separate nominations into larger IBAs.