-- 1989 Recommendations --

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A lot has happened since 1989 in the Ivory-bill arena, but back then Dr. Jerry Jackson prepared a report for USFWS based on his study of the species' status at that point in time and included this prioritization for future searches:

-- 1st Priority:

Louisiana: Atchafalaya Basin

Mississippi: Lower Yazoo River and adjacent bottomland forest along the Mississippi; Delta National Forest

Florida: area between and near Chipola and Appalachicola Rivers, Appalachicola National Forest; areas south and east of Kinard


-- 2nd Priority:

Louisiana: Tensas National Wildlife Refuge and contiguous forest

Mississippi: Pascagoula Hardwood Tract and continguous foest in Jackson and George counties.

South Carolina: Lower Santee River, Wambaw Creek Wilderness and vicinity

Florida: Big Cypress Preserve and adjacent areas; Fakahatchee Strand

Texas: Big Thicket

Florida: California Swamp and adjacent areas near the Lower Suwanee; other swamp forests of the "Big Bend" area


-- 3rd Priority:

Georgia: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Mississippi/Alabama: Lower Noxubee River and adjacent areas along the Tombigbee River

Georgia: Lower Altamaha River

Florida: Wekiva River preserves and adjacent portions of Ocala National Forest

Arkansas: Lower White River and nearby bottomland

Again, I'm sure 21 years later the precise order of priorities will have changed significantly, but still interesting to look back at the conclusions from a time before all the current hoopla.
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