WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, highlighted the impact of Sandhill Crane migration in Nebraska.
“In Nebraska, we have a number of wildlife species that are migratory and in fact we have that Central Flyway migratory corridor that goes through our state that includes the migration of the Sandhill Crane,” said Senator Ricketts. “The Sandhill Cranes have been coming through Nebraska for millions of years and about a million of them come to Nebraska and land in the Platte River Valley. That’s about 80% of the world’s population of Sandhill Cranes. And as Governor, I actually named the Sandhill Crane as our state migratory bird.”
“You talked about some of the economic upsides, but tourism is another one that doesn’t involve hunting, as we get thousands of tourists to come in and watch those migrations,” continued Ricketts. “And if you haven’t seen it, I’d highly recommend it. It’s actually really a fantastic thing to see.”
Ricketts also praised the conservation work of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers and called for a federal land policy that includes collaborative cooperation between private landowners and government entities.
“In Nebraska, 97% of the state is privately owned,” said Senator Ricketts. “And I often say our farmers and ranchers were the original conservationists because they wanted to pass on their family farm or ranch to the next generation. And so we have to have a federal land policy that includes collaborative cooperation, all that inclusion with those private land owners to be successful. And I’ve been concerned about some of the federal programs that have really gone beyond that and represented overreach.”
Ricketts made the comments in a hearing of the Committee on Environment and Public Works while questioning Madeleine West, Director of the Center for Public Lands at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Richard King, Chief Game Warden,Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The hearing was entitled “Challenges and Opportunities to Facilitate Wildlife Movement and Improve Migration Corridors.”
