Since its 1997 inception under the Division of Soil and Water’s Coastal Management Program, the DSP has conducted research and monitoring on the health and status of shorebird populations including Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper. In 2005 the program was fully transitioned within - and is currently managed by - the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. The goals of the DSP are to identify and protect the resources critical to the successful migration of shorebirds and to reduce the threats to those resources.
