Help safeguard the future of Whooping Cranes
I urge the FWS to consider ACTUAL SCIENTIFIC DATA before ending the use of the UltraLight Aircraft-guided release method (UL), the most successful Whooping Crane recovery method in use. Besides yielding the best results in terms of short- and long-term survivability, pairing, reproduction, and migratory behavior, Operation Migration (OM) fulfills the FWS mandate for Whooping Crane conservation using NO TAX DOLLARS.
Based on data gathered from the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) database , UL crane survivorship is 75% vs. 59% for the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) method, and thereafter, annual adult survival is 92% for UL cranes vs. 84% for DAR cranes. Based on these data, the probability of UL cranes surviving to the earliest confirmed breeding age (three years) is 63% vs. 42% for DAR cranes. Projecting survivorship to 10 years of age, UL cranes are three times as likely to be alive as DAR cranes (35% vs. 12%).
The UL method is completely privately funded: OM provides the staff, performs the work, and offers opportunities to capture worldwide media attention, elevating education and outreach in support of this endangered species and the wetlands upon which they rely.
Why would you shoot "the goose who lays the golden eggs" in favor of other unproven or less successful reintroduction methods? I urge you to look at the scientific data and retract your recommendation to end the UL method of Whooping crane reintroduction.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/safeguard-the-future?source=s.em.mt&r_by=14458993
