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Two observers in addition to the pilot will be in each plane. On the westward leg, one observer <br />will concentrate his/her attention on surveying the river channels from high bank to high bank, <br />and the second observer will concentrate his/her attention on surveying lands within a half -mile <br />of the main channel on the side of the river corresponding to the planes flight path. On the <br />eastward leg, one observer will survey the half -mile to the North of the transect and the other <br />observer will survey the half -mile to the South of the transect. The plane will not deviate or turn <br />around to assist ground crews in locating crane groups while flying the survey. The study area <br />from East to West will have the same effort expended in the aerial surveys. <br />Each plane will have aerial photos, maps, and GPS units to aid in the documentation of crane <br />locations. When a whooping crane group is located, an air to ground radio will be used to <br />immediately contact ground personnel that are geographically closest to the sighting. UTM <br />coordinates taken either from the plane's GPS system or hand held unit will be relayed to the <br />crew. The ground personnel may be Program staff or a Program cooperator (e.g., an individual <br />with the FWS, Districts, Trust, etc). The aerial survey crew will photograph the whooping crane . <br />group and its general position using a 35mm or digital camera. The ground personnel will <br />immediately begin the process of locating the crane on the ground. The aerial survey crew will <br />complete both the westward and eastward leg of the survey. If the ground crew has not located <br />the whooping crane by the time the aerial survey is complete, the plane will return to the crane <br />group's original coordinates and attempt to relocate the group. If the crane group is relocated <br />from the air, the plane will maintain visual contact with the crane group and direct the ground <br />crew via cellular phones to the location. See below for procedures to be followed once the <br />ground crew locates the crane group. <br />Opportunistic Locates <br />The quality and timing of public sighting reports are highly variable. For example, several <br />reports of a single group may be made by different individuals; sightings may be reported after <br />the group has left the area; geese, white sandhill cranes, pelicans, or egrets may be reported as <br />whooping cranes; etc. In an effort to document the validity of a sighting, a central receiving <br />office will be used to document reports. Using the procedures previously established by the <br />Whooping Crane Recovery Team for inter - agency reporting, public sighting reports will be <br />directed to Wally Jobman ( /alternate) at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A reporting form <br />will be completed by Jobman ( /alternate) for all reports that are received. Automated phone <br />message recording or call - forwarding will be used for receiving calls during non - business hours. <br />Reports that are received by Jobman ( /alternate) will be immediately relayed to the lead contact <br />for the tracking crew. The tracking crew will be advised of the nature of the report, the <br />evaluation of each sighting report (confirmed, probable, unconfirmed), and a recommendation to <br />the monitoring crew for follow -up tracking. The ground monitoring crew will assist in <br />attempting to confirm crane sighting reports that are not yet confirmed. The crew will gather <br />use -site characteristics for all crane sightings classified by the FWS as "confirmed ". As a <br />prioritization after confirmed sightings, the crew will check "probable" sightings, and then check <br />"unconfirmed" sightings. <br />Survey Detection Rates <br />The whooping crane decoys will be placed in the vicinity of the aerial survey flight. Aerial <br />crews will not be aware of the presence of the decoys during the flight. <br />February 23, 2001 Draft — WC Monitoring Protocol <br />