Israeli vacationers are trickling back to the North and the flow of bookings for the upcoming holidays is also below par. But the arrival of thousands of guests who have come to the Galilee in recent winters is not in doubt. Since 1992, many cranes have found a worthy rest spot along their migration route in the Hula Valley. But with no permanent budget, the project is facing funding problems, raising fears that an essential component in the crane's visit will be harmed, and hurt local farming and tourism as a result.

The "cranes restaurant is in danger of closing," Upper Galilee farmers warn. That is the name the Jewish National Fund gave the crane-feeding project, which distributes food for the birds throughout the winter on a daily basis. Between 10,000 and 30,000 stop off there in October through March, en route from Europe to Africa.

In the early years, the cranes caused major damage to area farmers. The large birds (averaging 1 meter in length and with a 2-meter wingspan) found plentiful food in the adjacent fields. The frustrated farmers tried various tactics to scare them off, such as loud explosive sounds. By 1999, valley farmers had suffered NIS 1.2 million worth of crop damage, on top of spending NIS 600,000 annually on futile attempts to get rid of the menace.

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A solution was eventually found: For the past six years, workers have distributed 3 tons of corn daily over 700 dunam - a total of 200 tons each winter.

The farmers' fields are spared, though cranes occasionally have to be shooed off cultivated land and shown the way to their feeding grounds.

The project is run by the JNF, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), the farmers and the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority.

It has proved a boon to the tourism industry as well, as the cranes have become a major attraction in recent years. But now, shortly before the cranes' arrival, there are insufficient funds to operate the project.

Farmers are worried the birds will return to raid their fields. They have raised NIS 250,000 to buy crane feed, but say that NIS 800,000 are needed, and that their partners in the joint project have not pulled their weight this year.

JNF officials are optimistic about their appeal to Vice-Premier Shimon Peres, who is in charge of Galilee development, for help with obtaining a permanent annual budget for the project. The SPNI also thinks the crisis will be resolved.