Bald Eagle Management Guidelines and Conservation Measures

Determining Whether an Activity May Disturb Nesting Bald Eagles: Step 1

This begins step-by-step guidance that will help you determine if your new or intermittent activity near an eagle nest, including alternate nests, is likely to disturb nesting bald eagles (a potential violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act) and measures that you can take to avoid that disturbance.

 

The guidance on this website is specific to the upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin).

 

To use this website most effectively, we recommend that you read the Bald Eagle Natural History and Sensitivity document.

 

Please Note! Eagles are unlikely to be disturbed by routine use of roads, homes, or other facilities where such use was present before an eagle pair successfully nested in a given area. This guidance is specifically for new or intermittent activities.

 

Go here for an introduction to this guidance.

 

Step 1.  Choose an Activity Category

 

Activities are separated into categories based on the nature and magnitude of impacts to bald eagles.  Select the category that most closely fits your activity. 

 

A. For active and alternate bald eagle nests, if your project involves any of the following construction or development activities, click here.

• Building construction
• Construction of roads, trails, canals, power lines, and other linear utilities.
• Agriculture or aquaculture – new or expanded operations.
• Alteration of shorelines or wetlands.
• Installation of docks or moorings.
• Water impoundment.
• Mining.
• Oil and natural gas drilling and refining.
• Installation or expansion of marinas with a capacity of 6 or more boats.

B. For active and alternate bald eagle nests, if your project is a timber operation and forestry practices, click here.

 

C. If your activity is helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft use, click here.

 

D. If your activity is blasting and other loud, intermittent noise (including fireworks), click here.

 

E. For routine motorized and non-motorized recreation that includes, hiking, camping, atv use, and boating, click here.

 

Back