|
|
The North American Crane Working Group hosted the Ninth North American Crane Workshop, January 21-25, 2003, in Sacramento, California. The Workshop allowed participants to observe sandhill cranes in the Pacific Flyway and learn about the problems they face, especially from the continued development in California. The North American Crane Workshop is held every 3-4 years and is an important event for crane recovery because it allows scientists from all over North America to exchange ideas and publish research findings. Special thanks go to Dr. Dave Ellis, who edited the last Proceedings, and to Dr. Felipe Chavez-Ramirez who will edit the 2003 Proceedings. Board members Mary Bishop, Wendy Brown, Steve Nesbitt and Scott Hereford of NACWG decided to step down after more than a decade of service. New board members elected were Dr. Glenn Olsen (President), Dr. Gary Krapu (Vice-President), Tracy Grazia (Secretary) Tom Hoffmann (Treasurer), Dr. Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, Dr. Marilyn Spalding and Dr. Richard Urbanek. The Lawrence Walkinshaw Award was awarded to Dr. George Gee of Patuxent. Lifetime achievement awards went to C. D. Littlefield, Dr. Rod Drewien, and Steve Nesbitt. A special achievement award was given to Xiomora Galvez and Cuban biologists for their work on the Cuban sandhill crane. The next workshop was held in Mexico in February 2006. Resolutions were passed at the workshop supporting: 1. Freshwater inflows from the Guadalupe River for the conservation of blue crabs and whooping cranes; 2. Continued designation of whooping crane critical habitat on the Platte River in Nebraska; 3. The Crane Conservation Act (Senate Bill 128) that would provide funding for crane conservation worldwide and focus on 11 of the 15 crane species that are endangered or threatened; and 4. Construction of whooping crane breeding facilities at Audubon Center for Research on Endangered Species (ACRES) in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. |
|
|