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Bald eagles were first listed as endangered 40 years ago after overhunting and the pesticide DDT nearly wiped out the species. Now, eagles flourish, particularly along the Mississippi River between Minnesota and
Wisconsin.
“With almost every species, it comes down to habitat, and Minnesota has a lot of what the eagles need and want,” said Tony Sullins, field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s ecological division. “I’d like to think Minnesota has a proud environmental ethic and history that has contributed to that.”
Eagle pairs in Minnesota have rebounded from 115 in 1973 to 1,312 today, according to recent USFW counts. In Wisconsin, bald eagles population plummeted to 25 pairs in 1962. Now, there are 1,065 pairs.
Despite the bald eagle’s resurgence, the Fish and Wildlife service has dithered over delisting the bird since 1999.
Earlier this year, a federal court directed the Interior Department to make a decision on the bird’s status by Friday, acting in a lawsuit by a Minnesota man who complained the government’s delays kept him from developing seven acres that included an eagle’s nest.
Damien Schiff, attorney for Pacific Legal Foundation, which represents the developer, said Wednesday the delisting is “a victory for property owners.” But he worried a proposed eagle protection plan using another law will still be too restrictive.
Conservationists called the eagle recovery a vindication of the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which has been under attack from property rights and business groups, and the subject of internal review at the Interior Department.
Environmentalists worry changes in implementing the law will make it harder keep plants and animals from disappearing, especially ones lacking the symbolism of the bald eagle.
“No other species has that advantage,” says Michael Bean, an endangered species expert at Environmental Defense. “It’s the national symbol.”
Naturalist Dave Palmquist of Whitewater State Park monitors four eagles nests at the park. Fifteen years ago, there were none.
Palmquist recalled when he started leading eagle field trips for the Winona Convention and Visitors Bureau. When he asked who had seen a wild eagle, nobody raised a hand.
“Today, it’s rare if a person hasn’t,” Palmquist said. “It’s a classic success story.”
Scott Mehus, education coordinator for the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, said about 50 eagles can be seen throughout the winter near the dam between Wabasha, Minn., and Alma, Wis., where the open water provides easy access to fish.
This time of year, the birds are not as visible, Mehus said, because they’ve settled in backwater areas to find food and raise a family.
“The reason I’m excited is that there are other species out there that need our attention,” Mehus said. “(Eagles) are big, bold and beautiful, but a lot of lichen and plants need our attention, too.”
Eagles are even thriving in the Twin Cities area, where more than 20 nests have been sighted.
“In my south Minneapolis neighborhood, I saw a bald eagle today with a fish in mouth on its way to a nest by a busy restaurant,” Sullins said. “The eagle is appearing to be more adaptable to human contact than what we anticipated.”
Sullins said eagles have adapted to the city, where they feed on road kill.
Even though removed from the endangered species list, the bald eagle will remain one of the most protected birds in the country, Sullins said. Bald eagles still will be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
A provision also allows the Fish and Wildlife Service the power to immediately re-enlist the bald eagles if they need to without going through the long, formal court process that can take a year or more.
By closely monitoring the nests for next five years, Sullins said they will be able to watch for changes. Surveys will continue every five years through 2027.
MaryBeth Garrigan, the National Eagle Center’s programming and public relations director, said public reaction is excitement hinging on apprehension.
“We do support it,” said MaryBeth Garrigan, the program and public relations director for the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. “It’s a bird that is a success story, and that’s what the endangered species act was meant to do — to take them off.”
Reporter Amber Dulek can be reached at (507) 453-3513 or amber.dulek@lee.net. This story includes information from the Associated Press.
cool wrote on Jun 29, 2007 1:26 AM: