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Bald Eagle Management
Guidelines and Conservation Measures
Additional Conservation
Measures to Benefit Bald Eagles
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The following are additional management practices that
can be used to benefit bald eagles. Many of these recommendations
are designed to protect and preserve bald eagle habitat.
- Protect and preserve potentail roost and nest sites
by retaining mature trees and old growth stands, particularly
within ½ mile from water.
- Where nests are blown from trees
during storms or are otherwise destroyed by the elements,
continue to protect the site in the absence of the nest
for up to three (3) complete breeding seasons. Many
eagles will rebuild the nest and reoccupy the site.
- To avoid collisions, site wind turbines,
communication towers and high voltage transmission power
lines away from nests, foraging areas, and communal roost
sites.
- Employ industry-accepted best management
practices to prevent birds from colliding with or being
electrocuted by utility lines, towers and poles. If
possible, bury utility lines in important eagle areas.
- Where bald eagles are likely to
nest in human-made structures (e.g., cell phone towers)
and such use could impede operation or maintenance of
the structures or jeopardize the safety of the eagles,
equip the structures with either (1) devices engineered
to discourage bald eagles from building nests, or (2)
nesting platforms that will safely accommodate bald eagle
nests without interfering with structure performance.
- Immediately cover carcasses of euthanized
animals at landfills to protect eagles from being poisoned.
- Do not intentionally feed bald eagles. Artificially
feeding bald eagles can disrupt their essential behavioral
patterns and put them at increased risk from power lines,
collision with windows and cars, and other mortality
factors.
- Use pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers,
and other chemicals only in accordance with Federal and
state laws.
- Monitor and minimize dispersal of
contaminants associated with hazardous waste sites (legal
or illegal), permitted releases, and runoff from agricultural
areas, especially within watersheds where eagles have
shown poor reproduction or where bioaccumulating contaminants
have been documented. These factors present a
risk of contamination to eagles and their food sources.
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Last updated:
June 28, 2007
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