Spring 2001 Whooping Crane Migrational Survey Protocol Implementation Report

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R3 -1 the FWS and TC will identify data needed to ascertain biological response and the time frame required to evaluate those data (R3 -1 milestone as revised at the _ August 2, 2000 TC /GC workshop) R5 -1 The Nebraska Districts will implement any research and monitoring measures required by new FERC license articles for FERC Projects Nos. 1417 and 1835. R1-2 and R1 -3 A technical committee will continue monitoring to document, relative to the habitat and species conditions that existed as of the effective date of the Cooperative Agreement, habitat and species responses to activities undertaken pursuant to the Cooperative Agreement. R3 -2 and R3 -3 The Nebraska Districts will continue to implement any research and monitoring measures required by FERC license articles for FERC Projects Nos. 1417 and 1835. II. PURPOSE This protocol describes the conceptual design and study methods for monitoring whooping crane migrational habitat use in the central Platte River valley, Nebraska. The objectives of the ground survey are to 1) apply a consistent and measurable search effort throughout the study area to locate Whooping Cranes, 2) engage local residents in monitoring crane activity, 3) determine if a volunteer effort in monitoring whooping cranes can be part of an efficient long -term monitoring plan, 4) evaluate the accuracy of whooping crane detection by the ground survey. III. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS III.A. Area of Interest The area of interest for monitoring whooping crane migrational habitat use through the ground survey consists of an area 3.5 -miles either side of the Platte River beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 283 and Interstate 80 near Lexington, Nebraska, and extending eastward to Chapman, Nebraska. When side channels of the Platte River extend beyond the 3.5 -mile area, a 2 -mile extension is made to include area around these channels (see attached map). III.B. Project Design III.B.1 Detecting /Locating Whooping Crane Stopovers Whooping crane stopovers will be documented using systematic surveys of the study area. Crane groups detected with systematic surveys will have known probabilities of inclusion in the sample. The systematic sample will cover the study area with equal effort and is unbiased with respect to survey effort. The effort expended for this search will be standardized and documented. Documenting the annual effort on repeated survey routes will facilitate comparisons of the magnitude of crane detections through time. Observers will drive ground survey routes along pre - selected sections of the road system in the study area. The survey routes will be analogous to line - transect sampling, with the search for cranes taking place while the route is driven and the distance and direction from the road recorded. The segment will be the experimental unit to estimate the total number of cranes. Since the surveys will take place along roads in the study area, the results are applicable to the March 12, 2001 Draft Protocol 2