Northern Jaguar Project Inc.

“Form 990 is reviewed in-depth by the board president and treasurer. Copies are distributed to remaining board members soliciting comments and feedback prior to filing.”

“After disclosure of a financial interest by a member of the board or staff, the interested person shall leave the board or committee meeting while the financial interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide if a conflict of interest exists. If it does, the chairperson of the board or committee shall, if appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement. The interested person shall be prohibited from participating in deliberations and decisions about the transaction. Periodic reviews of this policy ensure that njp operates in a manner consistent with its tax-exempt purposes.”

“When determining compensation for management, which includes the staff positions of coordinator and reserve manager, the board uses compensation surveys to approve the level of compensation and has the employee sign a written employment contract. Compensation for the coordinator was last reviewed in 2012, and the reserve manager's compensation was last reviewed in 2017.”

“The organization makes its governing documents and financial statements available to the public upon request. Form 990 is also available via guidestar.”

“Northern jaguar project - statement of program accomplishments october 2016 to september 2017 wildlife monitoring the northernmost breeding population of jaguars is 125 miles south of the u.s.-mexico border, where the foothills of the sierra madre begin to climb skyward. Here, jaguars move freely across a remote, rugged landscape that includes the 55,000-acre northern jaguar reserve. The reserve is the centerpiece of our work and offers a much-needed sanctuary that boasts the highest number of northern jaguar sightings, including females and their cubs. This year, two reserve biologists and four cowboys patrolled the reserve to deter poachers, inventoried the ecological health of the land and water, and maintained an array of motion-triggered cameras as a non-invasive method of wildlife observation. Our cameras have photographed a total of 50 individual jaguars on the reserve and neighboring viviendo con felinos ranches, with more than 750 jaguar images to date. The highlights this year were two females who represent the future for this endangered population: "libelula" returned to our cameras for the first time since 2014. She was in our earliest videos of a jaguar pair, was the mother of the cub "pedro, and is our second-longest documented jaguar. "suki" has moved back and forth between the reserve and viviendo con felinos ranches for five years. In 2016, she was photographed with a cub. We visited the viviendo con felinos ranches each month to maintain cameras, retrieve photographs, deliver feline photo awards, and make sure agreements to not harm wildlife were honored. Jaguars were recorded on six ranches, and two jaguars were new and unique to the viviendo con felinos properties. We reviewed corridor records and found that eight jaguars on our cameras have been documented elsewhere in sonora, which emphasized the importance of this protected area for jaguars establishing territories. To date, we have identified 90 different ocelots, with more than 900 photos. Four individuals have been consistently documented for more than six years each. Our biologists published a paper this year, "ocelots thrive in a non-typical habitat of northwestern mexico," in the endangered species research journal. Their research showed that large tracts of unpopulated wildlands over a non-fragmented landscape favor this neotropical species and that this unlikely habitat must be protected for the endangered ocelot to thrive. We continued planning for our science and conservation advisory team that brings together scientists from the u.s. And mexico to identify critical research questions, assess threats, and recommend future studies. This area has emerged as a focal point for overall biodiversity with more than 215 species of birds, 100 butterfly species, neotropical river otters, threatened native fish, a dozen species of bats, and four large felines: bobcat, ocelot, mountain lion, and jaguar.”

“Community outreach our viviendo con felinos project extended protections for jaguars and other felines on 14 ranches, a total area that encompassed 75,000 acres. We provided monetary awards for 725 feline photographs to promote the presence of living wildlife and worked closely with ranchers to minimize conflicts, reduce jaguar mortality, and restore essential wildlife habitat. We interviewed ranchers on whose properties jaguar poaching appeared to be a threat and identified new ranches to join the project. This led to a short-term trial enrollment for two ranches. We worked with six ranchers on water conservation projects. This included a 25,000-liter water tank installed on the ranch that won the grand prize at our annual viviendo con felinos photography exhibit and community celebration. Gabions and small-grade earthworks were built on five ranches to address water scarcity and begin to rehabilitate overgrazed areas. We provided outhouses on two ranches where none previously existed to promote water sanitation. In collaboration with conafor, we organized the second annual wildlands firefighter training for 30 participants. Our biologists trained 25 "junior jaguar guardians" in motion-triggered camera operation. Youth teams then went out and selected camera sites together. Collecting these photos feels like a game or scavenger hunt, and the kids were enthusiastic and started to recognize animals that live nearby. We hosted a field trip to hermosillo's centro ecologico, home to a wild jaguar who had been trapped by a rancher and could not be released. The junior jaguar guardians received a private tour and reception with his young offspring; this was their first opportunity to see a living jaguar. We continued to develop hands-on activities to connect this younger generation with nature and the outdoors. Other activities this year included painting wildlife murals, nature walks with flora and fauna identification, planting native trees, a recycling fair, and interactive camps and workshops. We had a total of 300 youth participants.”

“Reserve infrastructure and restoration we employed a fulltime reserve manager responsible for insuring the efficient management of all aspects of the reserve. Infrastructure work included repairs to existing facilities, the continued demolition of outdated structures, finishing installation of a new water storage tank, and ongoing road repairs. Our cowboys mended fences and installed new fencing, which will continue to be one of their priority tasks to keep trespassing cows out. We brought an invasive species expert to tour the reserve and examine strategies for buffelgrass removal, and we continued to focus buffelgrass removal efforts along the road and select priority areas. Stewardship and long-term management fund we continued to grow our stewardship and long-term management fund to guarantee the reserve's future through sustainable management and restoration. With more than one-third of our $1 million goal in hand, this fund will eventually create a permanent source of annual funding to cover the costs of basic protection and ensure proper guardianship of the reserve in perpetuity. Building our stewardship fund will continue to be a priority for additional funding in the years ahead. Grassroots leadership working to realize lasting change for large carnivores takes time and perseverance. Njp focuses our efforts where the greatest benefit to the ecosystem can be achieved, using our time and resources responsibly. With our inclusion on the 2017 top-rated nonprofits list, we received a five-star rating from greatnonprofits for the eighth year in a row. Our small overhead, combined with our experienced, volunteer board of directors, means that every contribution is well stewarded to directly support jaguar conservation. The steady increase in the size of the protected area, whether through direct purchase or rancher agreements, is the strongest evidence of our capacity to protect, safeguard, and strengthen the northern jaguar population.”