| Georgia
DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Survey Remote Habitat
for Evidence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2006
Contacts:
Jim Burkhart,
USFWS, (912)496-7366 ext.233
Robin Hill, GA DNR, (770)918-6789
WHO:
Biologists
from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
WHAT:
Search and document
evidence of ivory-billed woodpeckers at selected higher priority sites
in the northwestern portion of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
WHEN:
Monday, April
10, 2006, 9 a.m. –12 p.m.
WHERE:
Pine Island , Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge West
Entrance (From Valdosta take SR 94 East to Fargo,
then right on Hwy 441 South over the Suwannee River. Turn left onto Spur
177 East toward Stephen C. Foster State Park, proceed 12 miles to Refuge
Entrance. Turn left onto first paved road, park in parking lot for Suwannee
River Sill Recreation Area. Refuge staff will meet you there with a vehicle
for short trip in to Pine Island. Directions from other locations available
from james_burkhart@fws.gov.
WHY:
Georgia is fortunate to have a place like Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge with so much contiguous wildlife
habitat left. There are very few places left like this in the southeast, making it one of the most likely places
for where an Ivory-billed Woodpecker could survive. While the chances of finding an ivory-bill in Georgia are low, this effort will document
the habitat at Okefenokee to find locations that may be suitable for reintroduction
in the future.
VISUALS:
Biologists playing Ivory-bill calls to attract birds,
searching on land and in canoe for signs of ivory-bills. B-roll is available
by calling Robin Hill at (770) 918-6789.
Okefenokee National Wildlife
Refuge and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
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