I have been told on good authority that the Crane Creek State Park property has been transferred from the Division of Parks to the Division of Wildlife (Magee Marsh WA), effective 1 May 2008. I welcome correction from those who know more than I on this topic. I assume press releases, etc., will be forthcoming about this change. We will all learn more soon. What will the Division of Wildlife will do with this property? Much of the the currently very rare wooded beach ridge habitat--what makes the Magee Marsh bird trail so significant for migrant passerines--was destroyed to make the extravagantly large State Park parking lot. In fact, the whole area took quite a beating from three governmental agencies--Parks, Wildlife, and the Ottawa Refuge--and the public, over the years as they all had their separate ways with it. Some rancor developed, but with time--and efforts by birders--migrant passerines were generally recognized as the major beneficiaries of what little remained. The fact that tourists came from around the world to observe them did not go unnoticed either. Nor did the fact that we all take our toll on the habitat. What's going to happen, I wonder, to that huge, dry, barren parking lot, as well as any sand, etc., delivered to the site to support the beach? Eliminating it could eventually lead to a doubling or more of the critical habitat, with partial restoration of its role in the lives of migrant birds. Seldom do Ohioans have an opportunity to actually increase such an endangered habitat. But, some will ask, even if we have lots more habitat and lots more birds, where will we park when we come to see them? A fair, if selfish, question. There may be less critical areas off to the east along the shore for fewer vehicles, but I recommend we follow the Canadians and not use critical bird habitat for parking. At Point Pelee, they run shuttle buses from parking lots in less important areas during busy seasons. Probably during much of the year at Magee a much smaller parking lot well east of the current one would serve. Or we could walk. We'd probably see a lot more that way. I hope ODOW will opt for wildlife--especially birds--rather than humans as they manage this property. Their record is spotty in this regard. As for us birders, if we can't sacrifice a small convenience for the good of birds, I don't see how we can expect anyone else to. What do others think? Bill Whan Columbus ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]