National bald eagle management guidelines

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The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). These Acts protect bald eagles from a variety of harmful actions and impacts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) developed these National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines to advise landowners, land managers, and others who share public and private lands with bald eagles when and under what circumstances the protective provisions of the Eagle Act may apply to their activities. A variety of human activities can potentially interfere with bald eagles, affecting their ability to forage, nest, roost, breed, or raise young. The Guidelines are intended to help people minimize such impacts to bald eagles, particularly where they may constitute “disturbance,” which is prohibited by the Eagle Act. The Guidelines are intended to 1) publicize the provisions of the Eagle Act that continue to protect bald eagles, in order to reduce the possibility that people will violate the law; 2) advise landowners, land managers, and the general public of the potential for various human activities to disturb bald eagles; and 3) encourage additional nonbinding land management practices that benefit bald eagles. While the Guidelines include general recommendations for land management practices that will benefit bald eagles, the document is intended primarily as a tool for landowners and planners who seek information and recommendations regarding how to avoid disturbing bald eagles. Many States and some tribal entities have developed state-specific management plans, regulations, and/or guidance for landowners and land managers to protect and enhance bald eagle habitat, and the Service encourages the continued development and use of these planning tools to benefit bald eagles. These National guidelines are not law, but recommendations that are both strongly encouraged and applicable throughout the United States, including Alaska, based on several decades of behavioral observations, science, and conservation measures to avoid or minimize adverse impacts to bald eagles. Included in the document is information regarding legal protections of the bald eagle; impacts of human activities on nests; recommendations for avoiding disturbance at nest sites, roosting sites, and foraging areas; additional recommendations to benefit bald eagles; and a glossary and list of references.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology

Citation (CSE style): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007 May. National bald eagle management guidelines. Arlington (VA): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management. 23 p. Available from: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/BaldAndGoldenEagleManagement.htm.