Nomination Process

Click here to download the nomination form in English.

Haga clic para descargar el formulario en español.

=>  It is highly recommended that potential site nominators contact the WHSRN Executive Office before proceeding, to ensure communication and to avoid unnecessary effort.

1. A Site Nomination Form or Landscape Nomination Form, including data about the most recent shorebird censuses and other site information is submitted to the WHSRN Executive Office by an interested party.  Lists of shorebird species for Canada and the U.S. are found on the English language form; those for Latin America are on the Spanish language form.
   
   
2. Each landowner whose land is to be included must submit a letter agreeing to the three conditions in the "agreement of the owner(s)". A group of landowners may also submit a single letter, signed by all. You may contact us for examples of specific wording in either English or Spanish from existing sites such as National Wildlife Refuges or Protected Areas.

   Photo Credit: Tom Vezo

   
   
   
3. For Landscapes, a letter from a legally recognized conservation entity as described above is required.
   
   
4. Submitters are strongly encouraged to have their sites named as Ramsar sites and Important Bird Areas at the same time as the WHSRN nomination if the site does not already hold these designations.
   
   
5. WHSRN Executive Office staff will review the nomination, including the shorebird data, to verify completeness and accuracy and to ensure that the biological and landowner criteria have been met.
   
   
6. The WHSRN Executive Office then sends the nomination to a review committee from the appropriate WHSRN National or International Council, if such exists, and receives their recommendation within 45 days. (If questions arise, additional information may be requested from the nominators.) In the absence of such Councils, the Executive Office will create an appropriate review committee from experts knowledgeable about the region and the species involved.
   
   
7. Completed nomination documents and reviews are sent to the WHSRN Hemispheric Council for final action. This may be done electronically or at the time of a meeting of the Hemispheric Council.
   
   Generally it takes approximately three months from the date of submission to the completion of action by the Hemispheric Council if the nomination form is complete and if appropriate commitment letters are provided. If there is urgency to complete the action, it should be explained in a cover letter explaining the situation.
   
   WHSRN
   P.O. Box 1770
   Manomet, MA, 02345 USA
   Tel: (207) 871-9295
   Fax: (207) 842-6496
   Email: info@WHSRN.org