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Lake Creek center may step in if spill threatens wildlife A new wildlife rescue center in Lake Creek is on alert, waiting to swing into action if an oil spill near Coos Bay threatens enough birds. "My understanding is that the wildlife damage assessment teams are on the beaches now and they're attempting to identify whether or not there's a significant impact to wildlife," said Ralph Wehinger, executive director of the $2.5 million International Wildlife Recovery Center on Little Butte Creek. "We've been told that if there is, we'll be activated and brought on board," he said. At least eight oiled birds were spotted Tuesday near the New Carissa, a 639-foot chip ship that grounded on the North Spit at Coos Bay last Thursday and threatens to spill nearly 400,000 gallons of fuel. Of greatest concern is the Western snowy plover, a threatened bird that nests on nearby beaches, and waterfowl that winter in wetlands and estuaries behind the dunes. Wehinger said the Lake Creek wildlife center is designed to handle birds from "catastrophic" spills on the Pacific coasts of Mexico, Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean basin. The spill threatening Coos Bay may offer the recovery center's staff and volunteers their first chance to treat injured wildlife. "We just finished facilities here in the last six months," Wehinger said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA