Arkansas wildlife officials hope the offer of a $10,000 reward will help prove that the once-extinct ivory-billed woodpecker is living in the bayous of eastern Arkansas.
BRINKLEY, Ark. — Arkansas wildlife officials hope the offer of a $10,000 reward will help prove that the once-extinct ivory-billed woodpecker is living in the bayous of eastern Arkansas.
Officials from The Nature Conservancy and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announced a proposal Tuesday that would give a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads biologists to an ivory-billed woodpecker's nest, roost cavity or feeding site.
The Nature Conservancy received a $10,000 anonymous donation from an individual who wanted the money used for a reward, said Allan Mueller, avian conservation project manager for the group.
Mueller proposed the plan to members of the "Corridor of Hope," a group that is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's ivory-billed recovery team.
Barring any major complaints, the reward will become available beginning Monday, he said. Biologists will only pursue reports that include a photograph, sound recording or other substantive evidence, Mueller said.
"The people of eastern Arkansas know these woods and bayous better than anyone else," he said.
The woodpecker was first spotted in the Cache River Wildlife Management Area in 2004 -- 60 years after it had last been seen.
Source: Associated Press
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