The ABMI will not survey private or leased land until permission has been granted by the landholder. Exact site locations will never be released without landholder permission.
How the ABMI Obtains Access to Land
STEP 1: CONTACT
The process begins with a call from an ABMI Land Access Coordinator to the landholder during the fall or winter before the field season. Landholders receive an introduction to the ABMI’s monitoring program, and are invited to contact the Access Coordinator if they are interested in a more in-depth discussion about the monitoring program.
STEP 2: FOLLOW-UP
Following initial contact, a follow-up email or phone call is scheduled for the ABMI Access Coordinator to show landholders the area of interest, explain data protocols, and go over any access instructions the landholder may have (e.g., preferred access routes to the survey location).
STEP 3: SURVEYS
If permission to survey the site is granted, landowners can expect a team of two field technologists to access their land two to three times throughout the season, once every five to seven years.
Land survey sites generally include an eight-hour visit in May or June, and a second eight-hour visit in June or July. At forested sites, field crews may make a preliminary visit in May to mark the site location with flagging tape to make future surveying visits easier, if permitted. Generally, wetland survey sites include a one-hour visit in June, and an eight-hour visit in July.
Field technologists always follow strict access rules. Landholders will be notified a few days prior to our visits, and will have the opportunity to confirm or alter access instructions as necessary.
When accessing industry-related sites, the ABMI’s Land Access Coordinators will work with company safety officers to ensure our crews have the appropriate safety training, equipment, and site orientations to meet all site-specific requirements.
STEP 4: INFORMATION PACKAGE
About one year after the survey has taken place, landholders will receive an information package describing the data collected on their land. This includes a list of bird and plant species, as well as some habitat measurements like soil chemistry or water depth. If the ABMI has set up a wildlife camera and autonomous recording unit, the landholder will also receive access to these photos.
STEP 5: FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS
To measure changes in biodiversity and human land use over time, the ABMI relies on re-accessing site locations once every five to seven years. The ABMI will always seek permission before accessing land.
