“Everything hinges on this winter,” said Larry Mallard, the manager of the White River refuge. “The momentum is either going to be there or not.... We really don’t know.”
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Brinkley Mayor Billy Clay said he hopes there will be more sightings this winter to quiet the naysayers. He sees tourism associated with the ivory-billed woodpecker as a way to revitalize the Delta town whose population has declined.“It’ll definitely be an asset,” Clay said. “We’ve got to do something over here ; hospitality is what we have to sell.”
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A welcome center at the edge of Bayou DeView is on tap for the area, Clay said. Depending on funding, it could open in 2007. Once the center and some improvements to local roads are in place, the city will likely draw even more bird watchers, the mayor added.
I don't know what the planned "welcome center" is. If it's an expensive building, I think it would be wise to wait for the definitive photos before breaking ground.
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