Contacts:
Joan Jewett, 503-231-6211, joan_jewett@fws.gov
Reward offered for information
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the death of bald eagle found April 29 in Manchester State Park in Kitsap County, Washington.
The eagle was discovered by park visitors, who found it propped upright near some brush adjacent to the beach bluff and at the high tide mark. Resident bald eagle pairs have been documented in and around the park.
The Service's Wildlife Forensics Laboratory is doing a necropsy to determine the cause of death, which may be human-caused. Anyone with information regarding the death of this eagle is asked to contact the Service's Office of Law Enforcement in Redmond, Washington, at 425-883-8122. Callers with information may remain anonymous. The Service is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the eagle's death.
Bald eagles were removed from Endangered Species Protection in June 2007 after being declared recovered, due in part to habitat protection and protection from human-caused disturbance. They remain protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and killing an eagle is a violation of these laws. The maximum penalty for a criminal violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act is one year in jail and $100,000 per individual or $200,000 per organization for the first offense. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act carries maximum penalties ranging from six months to one year in jail and fines of up to $250,000 per individual, depending on whether an individual is convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony.
-- FWS--
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