From what I have been able to gather there hasn't been a sighting of a supposed Ivory-bill in Arkansas since 2005. But researchers haven't given up. I read that a 10 day helicopter survey started January 28. What they hope to do is narrow the search area. If they spot anything that smells definitively like an Ivory-bill, they will then send in ground teams to see if they can locate roosting or nesting area's.
My concern is, and has been, that if they find indisputable proof that Ivory-bill's really are out there, we as hunters stand a chance of loosing a big chunk of public hunting land to the restoration project. No one has come out and said as much - it's just my gut feeling. You know how whacked some of these tree-huggers are.
Check this out. The helicopter search is covering parts of the Rex Hancock Black Swamp Wildlife Management Area, Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, Dagmar Wildlife Management Area, Wattensaw Wildlife Management Area and White River National Wildlife Refuge, as well as one private tract at the request of the landowner. That's some of the best hunting ground in the whole country.
You tell me what will happen if the rarest bird in the world is confirmed to be there.