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TexasoilspillaconcernforwhoopingcranesEnvironmentWildlife6TuesdayApril82014BroughttoyoubyTheNWTCreeLanguageProgramAboriginalLanguageMonthwasahugesuccessnimamapahkweskanihkewekwaNowmymotherisbakingbannock.WonbyVernLepinewiyawawohkamapetawmaskihkiyTheirgrandmotherbroughtmedicine.WonbyPatBurkewehkacchikimowawsisipahpowaposHaveyouevereatenduckorrabbitWonbyMeaganWohlbergnicahkosnihtaepiminawasiwMysisterisagoodcook.NowinnerCongratulationstothecontestwinnersByMARIACHURCHAnadvocacygroupfortheprotectionofendangeredwhoopingcranessaysitsveryconcernedabouttheimpactsofatankerspillinTexasthatresultedin168000gallonsofoilbeingdumpedintoGalvestonBaylessthan300kmfromwherethebirdsoverwinter.Oilglobsaslargeasbas-ketballsbeganwashinguponMatagordaIslandlastweekanareaoftheAransasNa-tionalWildlifeRefugewherewhoopingcranesspendthewinterseasonbeforehead-ingtotheirnorthernbreed-inggroundsinWoodBuffaloNationalPark.AsizeableoperationhasbeenlaunchedbytheUSCoastGuardtocleanupthespillwhichhappenedonMar.22whenanoiltankercollidedwithanothershipinthebaybutsomeareexpress-ingconcernthattheeffectsofthecleanupcouldbedev-astatingtothefragilecranepopulationinthemiddleofmigration.ChesterMcConnelloneoftheadvocatesbehindFriendsoftheWildWhoop-ersFOTWWtoldTheJournalhisconcernstemsfromwhatheseesasalackofconcernforthecranesandotherendangeredspeciesbythecleanupcrew.Theintensivecleanupef-fortsweredoingthejobforotherneedsassociatedwiththebeachesandwerenottooconcernedaboutwild-lifehesaid.FOTWWalongwithotherconservationgroupsmadesignicantnoiseafterhearingreportsofheavyequipmentandmachinerybeingusedearlyinthecleanupprocess.Lastweektheiroutcrymadesomeheadwaywhenitwascon-rmedthatcleanupcrewswillswitchtohandtoolsandequip-mentthathasalighttouchinareassensitivetowildlife.AsoftodayourconcernshavesubsidedabitMcCon-nellsaidinanemailFriday.LessonstobelearnedThewhoopingcranesarecurrentlyinthemiddleofastaggeredmigrationperiodthatwilleventuallyseetheentirepopulationleaveTexasandmakeitswaythroughtheUStotheirsummerhomeinWoodBuffalo.Accordingtoobserversaround25percentofthepopulationhasalreadybegunmigration.WhileimmediateconcernaboutthesafetyofwhoopingcraneshaseasedMcConnellsaiditsimportantforlead-ersandpoliticianstoreectonhowtheywillrespondtofutureemergencyenviron-mentalthreats.Thoseofusinterestedinwhoopingcraneshavebeenconcernedformanyyearsthatsomethinglikethisoilspillwouldoccur.ThereismuchboattrafcthatgoesimmediatelybytheAransasNationalWildlifeRefuge.Anyofthesevesselsloadedwithoilchemicalsetc.areaseriousthreathesaid.Plansneedtobedevel-opedspecificallyfortheAransasRefugevicinitytorespondtoanyfutureemer-gencies.Equipmentandsup-pliesneedtobeoncallsoimmediateattentioncanbedirectedtoanyfuturecatas-trophenearAransasRefuge.ReportsfromUSmedialastweekconrmedthathun-dredsofbirdswerekilledbyoilfromtheGalvestonspillaclosecallfortheendangeredwhoopingcranepopulationoflessthan300.ThewhoopingcranesthatuseAransasaretheonlywildockremainingontheplanet.Theyarethecrownjewelsandallothereffortstorestorewhoopingcranesinotherlo-cationsaredependentonthesebirdsMcConnellsaid.PhotoPettyOfcer3rdClassCarlosVegaCrewmembersworktoremoveoilonthebeachesoftheNationalSeashoreParkonApr.1followingtheGalvestonBayoilspillinTexas.Whoopingcraneadvocatesexpressedconcernafterhearingreportsofheavymachinerybeingusedinthecleanupeffort.