The Department of Interior removed the bald eagle from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act on June 28.
Latest population surveys estimate a new high of 9,789 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states, a substantial increase from 1963’s all-time low of only 417 nesting pairs.
The Department of the Navy is committed to preserving and protecting threatened and endangered (T&E) species, and the conservation efforts that have helped foster the recovery of the bald eagle are part of a broader policy of environmental stewardship on naval installations.
The Navy has developed many natural resource programs to protect and preserve T&E species and their environments. Effective program implementation protects populations of bald eagles and other creatures, rendering many installations as de-facto wildlife preserves. The Naval Air Station Patuxent River is a primary example of this phenomenon.
Kyle Rambo, Naval District Washington’s Environmental Program Manager at Pax River, keeps a keen eye on the population. “The station is home to a single nesting pair of bald eagles, with at least three other nests located within one mile. Those eagles feed here as well,” said Rambo.
Rambo also keeps a keen eye on all T&E species living on, and surrounding, the NAS. “Our first responsibility is to conduct a comprehensive inventory for all T&E species, so we know what we have. Then we monitor those populations to make sure we’re aware of any upward or downward population trends,” he said. The natural resources team uses this information to develop their T&E management plans and programs, with a goal of ensuring continued existence here.
Winter is the optimal time to see bald eagles, since this is when they migrate from the north to the Pax River area. Rambo has seen as many as ten bald eagles feeding here during the winter months.
Bald eagles are early nesters, settling down in the Pax River area from mid-February through the end of April. During this time, the eagles will lay their eggs. Once hatched, eaglets usually remain in the nest through early July. It is especially important the nests are not disturbed during this time, and although the eagle has been de-listed there is still a law protecting our nation’s symbol – the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Passed in 1940, this act makes it illegal to pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest or disturb the birds, as well as their nests and eggs.
If you or your neighbor have an eagle’s nest in your immediate area, Rambo offers this advice to help comply with the Act, “During the nesting season, avoid loud noises or other habitat disturbances like construction or timber harvesting. They should leave a buffer around the nest area.”