Threats to Wildlife and the Platte River

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WILDLIFE p. 17 duration of stay on the Platte and surrounding area is not sufficient for the birds to replenish or increase their lipid reserves, as do Sandhill Cranes (USFWS 1981, p 76). Regarding whether Whooping Cranes "stop" or "stage" on the Platte, the Fish and Wildlife Service most recently stated: There is no evidence to suggest that whooping cranes do not stage on the Platte River in spring. Certainly there are no data to suggest that they did not do so historically. A recent analysis of the frequency of specific migration stopover areas throughout the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway revealed that the Platte River receives the highest frequency of use of any location during spring migration. These data also suggest that the Platte River is, in fact, a staging area for the Wood Buffalo- Aransas population of whooping cranes (USFWS 1988b, written comm.). Regarding the Big Bend reach of the Platte, it has been stated that "nowhere along their 2500 -mile migration route exists such a favorable combination of habitat types as in this location" (Hill 1975 in Currier et al. 1985). In recognition of the importance of this habitat, a 53 -mile long and three -mile wide area from Lexington to Denman, Nebraska, was designated in 1978 by the U.S. Department of Interior as Critical Habitat for Whooping Cranes (see figure 2a). Nine areas in North America have been listed as Critical Habitat for the Whooping Crane. The Lexington- Denman stretch is one of these nine and is the only one that is not protected as either a federal or state wildlife refuge or management area. The number of Whooping Cranes has slowly increased in the last few decades, but juvenile mortality is highest during migration. The species' future is still tenuous, which makes protection of their habitat, and in particular their Critical Habitat sites, imperative (Currier et al. 1985, p 29). Whooping Cranes are rarely seen during migration because there are so few birds in the population, they stay for only a few days along the Platte, and they shun human disturbance (USFWS 1986). Approximately 80 percent of all pre -1980 reports of Whooping Cranes in Nebraska have occurred along or near the Platte between Lexington and Grand Island (Johnsgard 1980 in Currier et al. 1985, p 25). Between 1939 and 1988 sightings of 48 Whooping Cranes were confirmed on the Platte River (USFWS 1988a).7 Whooping Crane populations have quadrupled since the 1940s. There is evidence to suggest that their use of the Platte had declined between 1950 and 1980, but sightings of Whooping Cranes began to increase during that period in the nearby Rainwater Basin (USFWS 1981, p 76). Since 7 "Confirmed" sighting is an 'observation made by a state or federal biologist or officer or other known qualified observers (trained ornithologist or birder with experience in identification of whooping cranes). A photograph may also be used to confirm sightings" (USFWS 1986, p 131).