Newspaper Page Text
Page 2B
The Braselton News
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
GHSA - continued from page IB
his school may or may not be
significant from an athletics point
of view.
“I think overall on the state
level, I think we have some sports
— looking at it from an athletic
standpoint —that you aren’t really
going to notice much of a change,”
he said. “There’s going to be some
people in different uniforms and
schools represented, but I would
hope that we would enjoy some
of the same success, and in some
sports we won’t. (But), it’s hard
for me to stand here and speculate
which one’s are going to be more
competitive than others.”
The Jefferson AD said there
hasn’t been much communication
between his school and the GHSA
regarding where it might fall in
terms of region placement, mean
ing that, like a lot of schools, there
are still a lot of questions that
remain to be answered.
“A lot of people talk about not
having rivalries and stuff, but I
don’t see where that’s going to be
a problem, I really don’t,” Corbett
said. “Unless — and there’s a
minute chance — that we won’t
be able to schedule Commerce in
football if we get put in a huge
region and we don’t have an open
ing.”
Corbett said he thinks it will
likely be next week before he hears
anything regarding what region his
school will be placed in next year.
“I don’t know, there’s a lot of
different ways it could go. We’ll
have to see,” he said.
Elsewhere in the county,
the opening of East Jackson
Comprehensive High School just
outside of Commerce, siphoned
off many students from JCCHS
as well as some from Commerce
High School. EJCHS is projected
to be one of the largest Class
AA schools in the GHSA next
year, with more than 978 students.
Commerce, with more than 402
students expected next year, will
remain comfortably in Class A,
making it the smallest high school
within Jackson County and the
only remaining Class A school.
Mill Creek, located in Hoschton,
is expected to become the state’s
largest school, with more than
3,771 students projected for next
year.
Schools have until Dec. 14 to
file a written appeal for a lateral
transfer within the same classifica
tion once the region alignments
come out on Thursday.
GHSA RECLASSIFICATION:
THE LOCAL IMPACT:
School
Currently
Startina ‘08-09
Proi. FTE
Class Chanae
Commerce
Class A
Class A
402.5
None
Jefferson
Class A
Class AA
636
Up one
E. Jackson
Class AA
Class AA
978.5
None
Jackson Co.
Class AAAA
Class AAA
1,020
Down one
Mill Creek
Class AAAAA
Class AAAAA
3,771.5
None
STATEWIDE:
Expected number of schools per classification (2008-09):
Class AAAAA 66
Class AAAA 81
Class AAA 81
Class AA 82
Class A 100 (71 in football)
* figures provided by the Georgia High School Association
Dove hunter’s input wunted
Outdoors
Sandhill Crane Migration marks fall in Georgia
It might seem hard not to notice
greater sandhill cranes as they
migrate through Georgia. Adults
stand more than 4 feet tall, sport a
nearly 7-foot wingspan and emit
a loud, rattling trumpet call laced
in bass.
But these big, gray birds often
fly at almost out-of-sight altitudes
during the day and when heard or
seen are occasionally mistaken
as Canada geese by people not
familiar with them.
For others, however, the fall
migration to southern Georgia
and Florida is a seasonal land
mark, with flights peaking in this
state at about Thanksgiving and
sometimes involving hundreds of
sandhill cranes a day. Large flocks
circle high into the sky as they ride
thermal air currents, constantly
cackling back and forth. Then,
they assemble into formation and
begin long, straight glides before
catching the next thermal several
miles closer to their destination.
When conditions are less favor
able for soaring, including some
times at night, they flap along
in formation at lower altitudes.
Usually they roost for the night in
an open pond or wetland.
“It is really a spectacle if you
learn to appreciate it,” said Jim
Ozier, a senior wildlife biolo
gist and program manager with
the Georgia Wildlife Resources
Division’s Nongame Conservation
Section. “It’s the only really large
bird we have that passes through
in significant numbers during
migration, but is typically not
present here at other times of the
year.”
Sandhill cranes are one of
the most common cranes in the
world. Greater sandhill cranes,
the largest subspecies, breed in
the northern U.S., Canada and
even eastern Siberia, and winter in
the southern U.S. and in Mexico,
according to the International
Crane Foundation. Georgia
havens include the Okefenokee
National Wildlife Refuge near
the Florida line, where wintering
greater sandhill cranes mix with
resident Florida sandhill cranes,
and Panola Mountain State Park
in Rockdale, Henry and Dekalb
counties, which provides valu
able stopover habitat for migrat
ing cranes.
The loss of wetlands and riv
erine ecosystems is a significant
threat to the birds, which favor
open, fresh-water wetlands but,
depending on the subspecies,
can range from pine uplands to
plowed fields.
Sandhill cranes are protected
in Georgia, but it is likely that
native Americans and early set
tlers occasionally enjoyed a meal
of them. The species’ migration
covers much of the state, includ
ing population centers, such as
metro Atlanta.
Keys to spotting cranes are sim
ple: Keep an eye on the sky - san
dhills travel in v-flocks like geese
- and listen. “Once you’ve heard
that sound, you’ll always notice
it,” Ozier said.
Check online at www.geor-
giawildlife.com to learn more
about Wildlife Resource’s
Nongame Conservation Section
and the State Wildlife Action
Plan, a conservation blueprint for
Georgia’s diverse wildlife and
natural habitats.
On a related note, 17 young
whooping cranes are on their way
to and through Georgia. Ultralight
aircraft are leading the 1,250-mile
Operation Migration flight from
central Wisconsin to wintering
grounds on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The high-profile project headed
by the public-private Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership is
aimed at re-establishing this
“severely” endangered species in
eastern North America. Check for
updates at www.operationmigra-
tion.org.
In response to recent public
comment regarding Georgia’s
dove hunting season structure, the
Georgia Department of Natural
Resources, Wildlife Resources
Division (WRD) has created a
convenient online dove season
questionnaire, available at www.
gohuntgeorgia.com. The purpose
of the questionnaire is to provide
hunters an opportunity to share
their opinions on certain aspects
of Georgia’s current dove hunting
season schedule. The 2007-2008
season runs through Jan. 5.
Questionnaire responses will be
considered as public input in the
Department’s effort to evaluate
potential season alternatives.
Classified as migratory birds
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS), doves are reg
ulated under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act. Under this authority,
states must adhere to the USFWS
framework which provides for an
opening date no earlier than Sept.
1, a closing date no later than Jan.
15, no more than three seasons
and a total of no more than 70
days. Georgia’s current season
conforms to this framework.
However, considering the
recent feedback regarding the
desire for more late-season hunt
ing opportunity (i.e. additional
days in January), WRD is assess
ing the possibility of adjusting
the current season structure to
accommodate the public input. In
order to do so, the proposition to
adjust the current season must be
presented and approved.
Hunters and other interested
parties can access the online
survey at www.gohuntgeorgia.
com - click on “Hunting” and
then the link “New: Dove Season
Evaluation,” located near the top
of the page.
The online evaluation is avail
able through Jan. 18, 2008.
For more information or ques
tions regarding the dove season
survey, contact WRD Hunter
Services at (770) 761-3045.
For general information regard
ing dove season, visit www.
gohuntgeorgia.com or call (770)
918-6416.
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