Annual Meetings
Members of the Pacific Flyway Council and its technical advisory groups, the Pacific Flyway Study Committee and Nongame Migratory Bird Technical Committee, meet regularly to disseminate information, combine data, review the status of populations, propose annual hunting and other regulations, develop cooperative management programs, and coordinate research and management for the protection and conservation of migratory birds.

Pacific Flyway Council
The Council has two business meetings each year, usually in March and July.

The Council focuses on different species at each meeting:

• March—Migratory shore and upland game birds, which have hunting seasons that open before October 1 (early seasons). These include doves, pigeons, snipe, rails, and cranes. The Council also considers special September waterfowl and extended falconry seasons, and all of Alaska's seasons.
• July—Waterfowl, which have hunting seasons that open on or after October 1 (late seasons). These include ducks, geese, and swans.

Pacific Flyway Study Committee
The Study Committee has two business meetings, usually in March and July, and a non-business work session, usually in December or January, each year.

The Study Committee focuses on different species at each meeting, similar to the Council:

• December or January—Identification of issues and development of work plans for the upcoming year, and development of cooperative management programs.
• March—Migratory shore and upland game birds, which have hunting seasons that open before October 1 (early seasons). These include doves, pigeons, snipe, rails, and cranes. The Study Committee also considers special September waterfowl and extended falconry seasons, and all of Alaska's seasons.
• July—Waterfowl, which have hunting seasons that open on or after October 1 (late seasons). These include ducks, geese, and swans.

Pacific Flyway Nongame Migratory Bird Technical Committee
The Nongame Migratory Bird Technical Committee has two business meetings each year, usually in March and July, and may have a non-business work session in December or January. Meetings are usually held in conjunction with the Pacific Flyway Study Committee meetings. Additionally, the Committee holds conference calls as needed to discuss and develop written comment on proposed actions in the Federal Register.

Unlike the Study Committee, the Nongame Technical Committee addresses a changing suite of topics at each business meeting due to the variety of proposed  federal regulations and other issues associated with nongame migratory birds.

Public Input
Publics wishing to provide input on proposed migratory bird management actions and regulations are encouraged to contact their state agency representatives. Publics may also provide comment by attending the Pacific Flyway Council meetings in March or July or by submitting written comments to the Council chairperson. The rulemaking processes of individual state and federal governments all have a public comment period. The federal rulemaking process and opportunity for public input is described in the Federal Register.

Photo credit: canvasbacks, photographer unknown; sora, G. Andrejko.