Laserfiche WebLink
<br />0501 <br /> <br />Whooping Cranes <br /> <br />Nebraska has recorded more official sightings of the endangered whooping <br /> <br />crane than all other states combined. And three-fourths of these sightings <br /> <br />have been made along the Platte River (Fish and Wildlife Service, 1976). <br /> <br />Consequently, the Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed 1.8 million <br /> <br />acres as "critical habitat" for whoopers (see figure ). This <br /> <br />proposal was published in the Federal Register, December 16, 1975. If <br /> <br />Officially accepted as "critical habitat," thi~~rea would then be fully <br />, , , f <br />protected under the Endangered Species Act. ~c~r~glY, any pr!Ject <br />(',<> ~ <br />affecting this area and using Federal fu~ding O:~Which involved a <br />~ . ") <br />Federal license would have to be proven to be nondetrimental to the <br />/" ,.J <br />. " <br />whooping cranes and their critica~habitat;' Projects not meeting this <br />criterion would have to be mOdi-A'ed or,.p~formulated. Thus, if this <br />r ' <br />"critical habitat" deSignati<~e<::,~i:1 ofTicial, additional studies <br />could be required to verify that~low depletions from the Narrows Unit <br />would not degrade whooper habitat. <br /> <br />Summa ry <br /> <br />Given available information, it is not presently possible to totally, <br />and accurately, assess the impacts of any single proposed water resource <br />development on the Platte River's remaining sandhill crane habitat. <br /> <br />Based on findings of preliminary studies and ~ detailed analysis of the <br /> <br />~ <br />existing situation, the Bureau acknowledges that construction of the <br /> <br />, <br />