Thriving Bald Eagle Finding Its Way Off Endangered List

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/19/politics/19eagle.html?8hpib


Thriving Bald Eagle Finding Its Way Off Endangered List


Associated Press
The bald eagle, which was nearly extinct 40 years ago, is now the focus of "a fantastic conservation story.''


By FELICITY BARRINGER

Published: May 19, 2004



WASHINGTON, May 18 - The bald eagle, whose majestic profile was in danger of disappearing from the American wild 40 years ago, has returned in such force that only two states lack breeding pairs and the bird is likely to be removed from the list of threatened species by the year's end.

"As a lot of people have recognized, the bird's numbers are terrific," David Smith, the deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks in the Department of the Interior, said Tuesday.

"If the numbers bear out," Mr. Smith added, "we hope to get to final delisting" by the end of the year.

The tentative decision, likely to go into effect more than five years after it was first proposed by the Interior Department, is being hailed by some environmentalists as a tribute to the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act, although some biologists have expressed concern that the expansion of subdivisions and summer homes will deprive the burgeoning eagle population of nesting sites.

-more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10660-2003Oct10?language=printer

U.S. May Expand Access To Endangered Species

By Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 11, 2003; Page A01


The Bush administration is proposing far-reaching changes to conservation policies that would allow hunters, circuses and the pet industry to kill, capture and import animals on the brink of extinction in other countries.



Giving Americans access to endangered animals, officials said, would feed the gigantic U.S. demand for live animals, skins, parts and trophies, and generate profits that would allow poor nations to pay for conservation of the remaining animals and their habitat.

This and other proposals that pursue conservation through trade would, for example, open the door for American trophy hunters to kill the endangered straight-horned markhor in Pakistan; license the pet industry to import the blue fronted Amazon parrot from Argentina; permit the capture of endangered Asian elephants for U.S. circuses and zoos; and partially resume the trade in African ivory. No U.S. endangered species would be affected.

Conservationists think it's a bad idea. "It's a very dangerous precedent to decide that wildlife exploitation is in the best interest of wildlife," said Adam Roberts, a senior research associate at the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute, an advocacy group for endangered species.

national bird.

In honor of all the GOP atrocities, of course, that the Right is burying their collective heads in the sand over.

They even grow their nests on the top of tall lighting for a soccer field, and during a game, we saw what looked like a male fending off suitors for his mate.

every year. I'm just north of Delaware County, NY; there are numerous pairs that nest near the water reservoirs. Some have moved a little north. No matter how often I see them, each siting is exciting.

Boy shit howdy I want one a' them big ol' buzzards up on my wall stuffed.

FUCK them ol' ducks and doves: gimme Big Birds!

Roasted eagle? Eagle stew?

Of course, while the eagle will remain protected from hunting, the loss of the Endangered Species Act protections means that their habitats will be fair game to developers.

In other words, you still won't be able to hunt an eagle, but you could make them homeless (and kill them just the same).

.

...other than for developers and logging companies that now can move in and mow down the eagle's habitat? Non-endangered means Non-protected habitat.

"Now on sale, choice $250,000 home sites in the new 'BALD EAGLE HEIGHTS' development. Sites will be ready as soon as the lumber company finishes their clear cut!"

HEY, maybe we can start eagles nesting in CITIES, just like the falcons! I guess a dirty, poluted, grey-skied, cement covered roost is better than none.