In recognition of the Mississippi River's importance to the nation, Congress passed legislation in 1990 that established the Mississippi River Corridor Study Commission. Congress directed the commission to undertake a study to determine the feasibility of designating the river as a national heritage corridor. Congress also charged the commission with recommending methods for preserving and enhancing the unique natural, recreational, scenic, cultural, scientific, and economic resources of the corridor.

This volume represents a compilation of papers presented at the 3rd International Partners in Flight Workshop held October 1-5, 1995, at the Grand Hotel in Cape May, NJ. The title of the workshop was 'Partners in Flight Conservation Plan: Building Consensus for Action.' Manuscripts have been available on-line at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology web site (http://birds.cornell.edu/pifcapemay) since the year 1999, and the majority of them have been updated recently to reflect knowledge available by the 2000 publication date. The volume is divided into seven sections that range from general planning considerations to a case study in bird conservation planning. References from all papers are compiled in a single 'References' section at the end of the volume.