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November 7 for the time period 1975 -1999 (Austin and Richert 2001). Breeding and <br />wintering areas, and migration pathway of the Aransas -Wood Buffalo population of <br />whooping crane is shown in Figure 1. <br />Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Habitat Area <br />For whooping cranes, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program focuses on the <br />Platte River valley beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 283 and Interstate 80 near <br />Lexington and extends eastward to Chapman, Nebraska. The protocol "Monitoring <br />whooping crane migrational habitat use in the central Platte River valley" studies an "area <br />3.5 -miles either side of the Platte River beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 283 and <br />Interstate 80 near Lexington, Nebraska, and extending eastward to Chapman, Nebraska. <br />When side channels of the Platte River extend beyond the 3.5 -mile area, a 2 -mile area is <br />included around these channels." This area includes designated critical habitat for whooping <br />cranes, which is defined as "a strip of river bottom with a north -south width 3 miles, a south <br />boundary paralleling Interstate 80, beginning at the junction of U.S. Highway 283 and <br />Interstate 80 near Lexington to the interchange for Shelton and Denman" (DOI, 1978). The <br />Platte River Recovery Implementation Program area, with the designated critical habitat for <br />whooping cranes is shown in Figure 2. [CREATE STUDY AREA MAP THAT ALSO <br />SHOWS THE CRITICAL HABITAT AREA] <br />Studies that investigate migrational habitat and use within this region are discussed below. <br />Other studies that investigate migrational habitat and use outside of this region are liged,in <br />AppendzxA.' <br />Platte River Valley Use <br />Over 90% of the sightings in Nebraska have occurred within 48km of the Platte River and <br />about 80% have occurred in the Big Bend reach, the 130km stretch between Lexington and <br />Grand Island (Johnsgard 1980, Lingle et al. 1984). Austin and Richert (2001) provide a map <br />illustrating where sightings have occurred in Nebraska during the spring and fall from 1943- <br />1999 (Figure 3) and within the central Platte River region (Figure 4 (Spring) and Figure 5 <br />(Fall)). <br />Whooping Crane Sightings <br />The first detailed list of whooping crane sightings in Nebraska was published in the early <br />1930's ( Swenk 1933 in USGS 1996). Sightings during 1934 -1944 were compiled by <br />Brooking (1934, 1943a, 1943b, 1944 in USGS 1996). Allen (1952) re- assessed the sightings <br />reported by Swenk and Brooking and developed a list which he felt represented valid <br />sightings in Nebraska (Allen 1952 in USGS 1996). Sightings on this list from 1912 -1948 are <br />provided in Table 2. <br />Information on whooping crane sightings along the Platte River during 1940 -1974 was <br />derived from records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and information since 1975 was <br />derived from the Cooperative Whooping Crane Migration Monitoring Project. The records <br />are stored and maintained in a computer database and as paper hardcopies by the U.S. Fish <br />Draft Baseline Report — Whooping Crane Section 5 <br />