The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing an adult bald eagle in the Sandstone Unit of the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
The dead bald eagle was recovered from a portion of the protected refuge near the Sandstone Federal Correctional Facility. After its recovery, the bald eagle carcass was examined and, according to officials, a “clear bullet path,” was identified indicating the bird was shot.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resident Agent in Charge Pat Lund, explained that forensic examinations will be conducted and it is possible that important evidence, such as “bullet fragments”, will be recovered from the bird.
Service investigators also believe the person responsible for killing the eagle may have been seen by another refuge visitor, “We believe somebody hunting or hiking in the area where the bald eagle was killed has additional information that will help finalize this investigation”, said Lund.
Bald eagles are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, both of which make killing a bald eagle a federal crime.
Anyone with information about this or any other bald eagle killings in Minnesota should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement Tip Line at 1-800-532-2887 or the St. Paul law enforcement office at 651-778-8360. Individuals providing information may either remain anonymous or be eligible for the reward money.
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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 547 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 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 and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
