[texbirds] Open Meeting Wed, Oct 24, 2012, about Whooping Crane count methodology
- From: Betsy Baker <betsy.baker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: MailingList TEXBIRDS <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:20:04 -0700 (PDT)
A friend forwarded this notice to me. I hadn't heard about The Aransas Project
(where have I been?) yet, so I suppose there may be some other texbirders who
haven't as well. Here's their website: http://thearansasproject.org/
The USFWS is holding another public meeting at Aransas NWR tomorrow, from 6 to
8 p.m., about their new distance sampling counting methodology, on which
required Guadaloupe water flows into the bay depend. Interested persons are
urged to attend.
Betsy Baker, Dallas
=======================================================================
Begin forwarded message:
From: "The Aransas Project" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: October 22, 2012 10:46:21 AM CDT
To: "kbrownmule@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <kbrownmule@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: What's on TAP
Reply-To: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Updates from The Aransas ProjectÂÂOCT 22, 2012
Community Urged to Attend Oct. 24 Mtg. on Crane Counts
USFWS Will Hold Public Meeting at Refuge on Wednesday, October 24th
It was truly gratifying to see the great outpouring of support for and interest
in the whooping cranes from the Rockport community at the October 4th
presentation by USFWS on the new distance sampling methodology being used at
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The questions asked by the audience
demonstrated again that this is one of the most knowledgeable and engaged
communities anywhere, especially when it comes to the whooping crane.
We hope that folks who attended that first public presentation, as well as
others who may have been unable to attend, will attend a second public
presentation being offered by USFWS:
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
6 to 8 p.m.
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
(six miles south of Austwell on Farm-to-Market Road 2040)
Because USFWS issued its Aransas-Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane Abundance Survey
(2011 - 2012) only one day before the October 4 briefing, this is a great
opportunity to ask further questions of Refuge staff after having had more
opportunity to review the report, or simply to ask questions that you didnât
get a chance to ask last time.
Hope to see you there. Bring a friend!
Video of Oct. 4 Public Presentation Available Online
The Aransas Project has posted a video documenting the two-hour public
presentation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the distance sampling
methodology in use at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge during the last
wintering season. The presentation was held on Oct. 4, 2012 in Fulton, and
includes the formal presentation as well as questions from the audience
following the presentation. While there was a great crowd on hand with many
well-informed questions, we know that many people were not able to attend. We
hope that this video documentation is helpful to the whooping crane community
around the world in staying informed on this critical issue.
As you can see in the next article below, the defendants in TAPâs litigation
have sought to supplement the record with USFWS' Oct. 3 report, which is
critical of Stehn's methodology. We think that you will find that the tone of
the presentation captured in the video differs significantly in its
characterization of Stehn's work from that of the written report released by
USFWS one day prior to that public meeting. It also gives you a great sense of
the strong level of public engagement on this issue.
Defendants Seek to File USFWS Report in TAP Litigation
Judge Will Not Admit Without Full Evidentiary Hearing to Probe Credibility
As reported recently by Matthew Tresaugue of the Houston Chronicle, TAP
supporters should also be aware that the State of Texas, the Guadalupe-Blanco
River Authority and other defendants have sought to introduce USFWSâ Oct. 3
report into evidence more than 9 months after the close of the trial in TAPâs
lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act. The Oct. 3 report criticizes the
previous census method and introduces USFWSâ new statistical modeling method of
estimating peak flock size. The previous census method was used since 1982 by
USFWSâs own prior Crane Coordinator, Tom Stehn. Stehnâs work led the recovery
and survey of this species until he retired in September 2011.
The federal district judge presiding over the case has indicated that the
report will not be admitted into evidence without a full evidentiary hearing at
which the authors of the report from USFWS are available would be required to
testify. Read more about this development.
Crane Migration Back to Texas Coast Underway
All of us who love the cranes are excited that the annual migration back to the
Texas coast from the summer nesting grounds in Canada is underway. In a blog
post entitled, âWhooping Cranes Migrating South to Texas,â Chester McConnell of
the The Whooping Crane Conservation Association reports that the cranes had a
successful summer nesting season. Check out Chesterâs post to learn more about
estimates on the number of cranes expected to arrive at the Refuge.
The Victoria Advocate Editorial Board also issued an editorial on the return of
the cranes, encouraging residents to visit the Refuge to see the cranes and
noting significantly that:
In a way, the cranes are protecting us as well. Their protected status limits
the amount of water that can be taken from the rivers feeding into the refuge
in order to maintain the correct balance in the estuary that houses the cranes'
major food source. While this may be an inconvenience for some area industries,
it ultimately protects our waters from being siphoned away from our area,
keeping it here to meet the needs of area residents and wildlife.
While all of us in the Coastal Bend need no reminder of the critical link
between our well-being and that of the cranes, it is encouraging to see this
message from the Advocateâs Editorial Board.
Thanks so much for your continued support.
Please feel free to forward this on to a friend.
Ron Outen
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, THE ARANSAS PROJECT
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