Feingold Works To Protect Cranes And Their Habitats April 28, 2005 Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) has introduced legislation to protect cranes and their habitats. The Crane Conservation Act, co-sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), and Herb Kohl (D-WI), would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to distribute funds and grants to crane conservation efforts domestically and in developing countries. "Industrial development, pollution, and the general encroachment on cranes' habitats have all contributed to the shrinking number of cranes worldwide," Feingold said. "Without serious conservation efforts, like those we have seen in Wisconsin, cranes and their ecosystems could suffer greatly." Feingold's bill seeks to build on successful efforts to protect the North American whooping crane, the rarest species of crane in the world. The species was down to only 21 whooping cranes in 1941 but, thanks to conservation efforts and the birds' tenacity for survival, 450 birds are in existence today. Two new flocks of cranes are currently being reintroduced to the wild, one of which is a migratory flock on the Wisconsin to Florida flyway. Feingold's bill will encourage further crane conservation efforts on behalf of endangered cranes throughout the world by supporting initiatives and organizations dedicated to the protection of these beautiful birds and their ecosystems. "Cranes are the most endangered family of birds in the world, with two-thirds of crane species facing extinction," Feingold said. "If we do not increase conservation efforts, these rare and beautiful birds will face a grim and unpromising future." The bill was introduced the day after an announcement from the Smithsonian Institution that one of the ultralight planes used in Operation Migration, which leads the birds from Necedah Wildlife Refuge to a Florida wildlife refuge, will be on display in the Air and Space Museum early next year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Health Center in Madison, the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin are key partners in domestic whooping crane conservation efforts.

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