FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Re: Additional thoughts about visiting Ivory-billed habitat

[ecj100@xxxxxxx]

Remember two things though:
 
1.  The focus area of 5000 acres has been closed off to all but researchers.
 
2.  The rest of the WMA -- about 55,000 acres, is already fairly used, by 
hunters and fishers.  So it is not at all devoid of people.  It may be that 
there will be some intrepid tours that will brave the conditions and spond at 
least 3-4 days in a boat for a relatively small chance of seeing the bird.  But 
unless and untill someone discovers the nesting area, I would think the 
invasion, if any, would be relatively slight over the existing background use.  
I do agree that the officials will have to deal with what kind of boats can be 
used -- I am not sure fan boats can access that area -- and set other rules, if 
they haven't already, but I suspect that can be done without too much trouble, 
given the area involved.
 
Eirc Jeffrey
Falls Church
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Kessler <northraven@xxxxxxx>
To: TUFTS@xxxxxxx; va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, 4 May 2005 22:01:26 -0400
Subject: [va-bird] Re: Additional thoughts about visiting Ivory-billed habitat

a number of good points in this, but this only works so long as the birders 
are all individuals, and not too intrepid.  when enterprising types -- local 
or otherwise -- start to organize tours to search for the bird, that will 
change the situation.  so will use of motorized boats, if that is 
permitted -- I don't know whether there are prohibitions on motors, or how 
those prohibitions are enforced.  swamp boats [flat-bottomed aluminum boats 
powered by large fans] are used a lot in Florida in swamps.  and I can 
imagine the scene of the first guy with too much gear, of the wrong type, 
who thinks that a GPS is what he needs, finally calling on his phone giving 
the coordinates of where he's lost and demanding a helicopter come fetch him 
out -- not uncommon event these days in the White Mountains, sadly [& topo 
maps work in the mountains].

don't mean that no one should go, but I do think that continued access could 
prove far more problematic than your friends first reading would indicate.

chris kessler
falls church


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Tufts" <TUFTS@xxxxxxx>
To: <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 5:09 PM
Subject: [va-bird] Additional thoughts about visiting Ivory-billed habitat


>I wanted to share this email I received via a colleague from someone who
> participated in the Zeiss Ivory-billed WP search team in 2002. Some good
> food for thought.
>
> Craig Tufts
>
> Looking for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers
>
> Fri, 29 Apr 2005
>
> Everyone,
>
> I wasn't going to wade into this, but I feel I must comment on the
> many
> posts that have appeared re the Arkansas Ivory-billed Woodpecker
> promoting the idea that (1) the area should be closed; (2) don't let
> any birders in; (3) don't publish directions; (4) stay away; etc. etc.
>
> In a nutshell, I feel such comments are generally quite silly.  The
> very subject of "controlled access" was raised and discussed while we
> -- 
> Zeiss Ivory-billed Woodpecker Search Team -- were searching for
> Ivory-billed
> Woodpeckers in 2002 in the Pearl River of Louisiana.  In fact, during
> our entire 30-day search there I'm not even sure if we encountered ONE
> birder that was searching for the bird.  In contrast, however, we did
> see many
> hunters on a daily basis, and we never considered them to be a
> problem.
> The conclusion was that the subject was basically a non-issue.  The
> reasons are many.
>
> First of all, it is quite clear that 99% of birders that might arrive
> to search for any birds would probably, at most, spend perhaps a 1/2
> day
> of searching and then quit.  If mosquitoes were active, this time
> frame
> might be reduced to but one or two hours.
>
> Secondly, where the birds are found (either Louisiana or Arkansas) are
> vast tracts of bottomland forest that are extremely difficult to
> access. There are generally few roads and few trails (and often none).
> To
> access the area, you must expect to get very wet, or enter via a canoe
> or
> other type of boat.  What percentage of arriving birders are willing to
> do
> this?
>
> Thirdly, so far 7000 man-hours have been spent looking for the
> Arkansas
> bird, and IN TOTAL there have been only 15 sightings.  If you do the
> math, it means a birder would need to spend a MINIMUM of 55 days of
> searching if one expects a sighting.  How many birders would be
> willing
> to put in this much effort, even without the guarantee of a sighting?
> Fourth, even if the bird is seen in a particular area, it does NOT
> mean
> you simply go to that location and the bird will be waiting for you.
>
> By the time you get there, it is far more likely that the bird is now
> 2, 5
> or 10 miles away.  So even if a significant number of birders somehow
> reached the location -- after obtaining canoes, etc. -- it would not
> be a major impact.
>
> Fifth, while people are promoting the idea that birders should "stay
> away" all kinds of other outdoor enthusiasts continue to use the area
> (as they did BEFORE the bird was found).  This includes hunters,
> fishermen,
> kayakers, whatever.  Adding a few birders to this mix is not going to
> have any effect whatsoever.
>
> Van Remsen of LSU (Baton Rouge) was involved in these discussions, and
>
> he agreed that birders searching for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was
> not a
> major issue.  As a leading authority on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker,
> there is no doubt that he would suggest otherwise if he deemed it to
> be a real problem.
>
> Now there is one potential situation that is indeed important to
> address. Should a NEST of Ivory-billed Woodpecker be found (or a
> roosting
> hole), then a total closure of the immediate area would indeed be
> necessary
> and indeed would be something that I would totally agree with.  But
> even
> then, I suspect the authorities in charge would devise a safe way in
> which visitors could view the birds.  Perhaps via a high-powered
> telescope at a distance.
>
> Alan Wormington
> Leamington, Ontario
>
>
>
> You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send 
> email to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
> va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
> 

You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.


You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.