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FWC seeks public comments on bald eagle plan
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Location: Blogs Now We're Talking |
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| Posted by: Joe Byrnes |
8/6/2007 2:20 PM |
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is looking for your comments on its plan to manage the bald eagle in Florida. State and federal agencies have concluded the species has thoroughly rebounded from near extinction in the 1960s and is no longer threatened.
So how should the state manage America's national bird, which, by the way, is still protected under federal law? The FWC is considering that question. A final decision on the plan should come in December.
A public workshop - for your input - is scheduled 5:30 to 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Northeast Regional Office, 1239 S.W. 10th St. in Ocala.
This comment period ends Sept. 14 when the Commission meets in St. Petersburg, according to an FWC news release.
"Commissioners will hear public comment at the September meeting and again at the December meeting, but no formal action will take place before the December meeting," the news release states.
You can read the draft management plant at this FWC link. You can also write Robin Boughton, FWC, 1239 S.W. 10th St., Ocala, FL 34471-0323 or call (352) 732-1225.
Here are a few excerpts from the plan's executive summary:
"Following the guidance of FWC’s listing process, a five-member biological review panel was approved in June 2005. The panel assessed the eagle’s population and distribution data against species-imperilment criteria (Rule 68A-1.004, F.A.C.), and determined that the bald eagle no longer met the criteria for state listing at any level. As a result, the panel unanimously recom mended that the bald eagle be removed from Florida’s list of imperiled species (Sullivan et al. 2006). The decision to delist the bald eagle in Florida is based on the following biological data: (1) bald eagles occur throughout the state; (2) the population does not experience extreme fluctuations in distribution or numbers; (3) the estimated number of adults has increased more than 300% during the past three eagle generations (defined in this document as a total of 24 years); and (4) the population is not projected to experience significant declines over the next three eagle generations.
"... The continental bald eagle population began to decline in the 18th century as a result of habitat loss and direct persecution. The decline intensified during the mid-20th century with widespread use of organochlorine pesticides such as DDT compounding the losses from habitat destruction and shooting. DDT was used widely in the U.S. until it was banned in 1972 in part because it caused eggshell thinning in raptors, resulting in widespread reproductive failure.
"The dramatic recovery of the bald eagle in the past 35 years represents one of the great conservation success stories in our nation’s history. Eagles reclaimed their entire historic range by the late 1990s, and the estimated population in the Lower 48 states increased from an estimated 417 pairs in 1963 to 9789 pairs by 2007. ...
"The goal of this management plan is to maintain a stable or increasing population of bald eagles throughout Florida in perpetuity. To achieve this goal, bald eagles and their nests must continue to be protected through science-based management, clear regulations, public education, and law enforcement. Continued conservation efforts are required to prevent Florida's population of eagles from being relisted. To maintain the conservation goal, this management plan establishes four conservation objectives calculated as five-year running averages: (1) maintain a minimum of 1020 nesting territories per year over the next 24 years; (2) maintain an average of 68% of nesting territories producing ≥1 nestling per year; (3) maintain an average reproductive success of ≥1.5 fledglings per active nest; and (4) maintain the current area of occupancy (>770 mi2) and extent of occurrence (52,979 mi2) of eagles statewide.
"In addition to being our national symbol, reasons for continued protection, management, and monitoring of Florida’s bald eagles include the following: (1) Florida supports more nesting eagles than any state other than Alaska and Minnesota, and 11% of the nesting population in the Lower 48 states; (2) 67% of all eagle nests in the state are on private lands; (3) disturbance close to eagle nests can negatively affect their reproductive success; (4) growth of Florida’s human population assures continued encroachment into eagle nesting and foraging habitats; (5) preventing a population decline in Florida that would necessitate relisting; and (6) the public insists on continued protection of this magnificent species.
"This management plan presents a suite of conservation actions to ensure that the conservation objectives continue to be met. These actions are best accomplished by applying an adaptive management approach that allows adjustment to policies, guidelines, and techniques based on science and observed conservation benefits or detriments. The conservation actions are organized into the following sections: Habitat Management, Land Acquisition, Private Lands Incentives, Law Enforcement, Proposed Regulations, Permitting Framework, Monitoring Plan, Education and Outreach, and Ongoing and Future Research.
"Conservation of bald eagles in Florida through the implementation of this plan requires the cooperation of local, state, and federal governmental agencies; non-governmental organizations; business, agricultural, and forestry interests; universities; and the public. This plan was developed by FWC in collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders, and its successful implementation requires the cooperation of and coordination with these agencies, organizations, private interests, and individuals.
"... Report for the Bald Eagle was released. Further comments will be considered at the September 2007 FWC Commission meeting when this Bald Eagle Management Plan and its associated rule changes are presented."
Joe Byrnes can be reached at joe@ocala.com or (352) 867-4112. |
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