The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is asking for the publics assistance in protecting bald eagles in Alaska. Recently Service law enforcement agents have responded to reports of people cutting down trees that either contained eagle nests or were located near enough to eagle nesting trees to cause the eagles to abandon their nests. Spruce bark beetles have killed hundreds of trees in Alaska, and some of these trees still provide nest sites for bald eagles.
You can help protect bald eagles. "It is illegal to disturb bald eagles in any way," said law enforcement agent Jill Birchell. "We cant emphasize enough the importance of observing the laws that are designed to protect this magnificent bird."
The Bald Eagle Protection Act provides that up to $2,500 can be paid to persons who give information which leads to the conviction of a person or persons who violate the Act. "Causing eagles to abandon their nests or cutting down bald eagle nest trees, even if the trees are dead, are violations of the laws that are in place to protect eagles," Birchell said. "We must all work together to help conserve eagles for future generations."
The bald eagle is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white head and tail. Females generally weigh up to 14 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 8 feet. Bald eagles mate for life and build huge nests in the tops of large trees near the coast, rivers, lakes and marshes. Nests, which are usually re-used and enlarged every year, can reach 3 to 5 feet across and weigh up to 4,000 pounds. Dead trees typically continue to provide nesting habitat for eagles.
As the symbol of freedom, strength, and courage, the bald eagle represents the best of what America has to offer. Although bald eagles are not considered threatened or endangered in Alaska, they are protected by the Bald Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Biologists estimate that there are approximately 50,000 eagles in Alaska, more than anywhere else in the United States.
To help people learn more about bald eagles and the laws that protect them, the Fish and Wildlife Service has a booklet called "Bald Eagle Basics." To receive a free copy of the book, call 271-2787. Visit the Services website to learn more about eagles at: www.r7.fws.gov">.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
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