Federal officials review permit after bald eagle nest removed in Alabama
Federal wildlife officials are investigating the removal of a bald eagle nest in Alabama, one that they issued a permit for. The tree and nest were removed by a land developer over the weekend of Nov. 15, which locals say housed a bonded pair of the large birds.
Along with the permit being investigated by the Fish and Wildlife Service, Hughston Homes of Georgia, the land developer, is also under investigation. Wildlife officials say it was the responsibility of the permit holder to confirm that the nest was empty before taking it down.
The agency had determined the removal wouldn’t interfere with the overall eagle population. For its part, the developer stated it followed guidance from the Fish and Wildlife Service in the removal, stating that they believed the “nest in question is likely an alternate nest” for the pair of bonded eagles.
Locals of Auburn say there’s more to the story. The City of Auburn released a statement, saying the City Council was disappointed by the removal.
Residents say an investigation isn’t enough, and the Fish and Wildlife Service should’ve never issued the permit in the first place. Local Auburn officials say that eagle activity was reported in the area of the nest as early as January 2021. However, the city didn’t take their protection into consideration in approving or denying the developer’s requested application.
According to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, disturbing gold or bald eagles is criminal, and can result in a fine of up to $200,000, and even imprisonment.
Washington man sentenced in black market eagle killing operation
A Washington man received a nearly four-year prison sentence on Thursday, Oct. 31, for his involvement in a black market operation. Hundreds of protected eagles and hawks were killed and trafficked in the operation, coming from the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, federal prosecutors announced.
Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and trafficking charges in March after investigators traced a pattern of illegal wildlife activities back to him.
Between 2015 and 2021, Branson traveled from Washington to western Montana, where he collaborated with co-defendant Simon Paul, currently a fugitive, in what prosecutors described as a “killing spree” targeting bald and golden eagles, as well as hawks.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen sentenced Branson to three years and 10 months in federal prison, ordered him to pay $777,250 in restitution, and mandated three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana said Branson was involved in the illegal killing of approximately 3,600 birds, including at least 118 eagles and 107 hawks, confirmed through digital evidence such as text messages.
In conversations with buyers, Branson referred to his activities as “killing sprees” and commented that he didn’t “get em for free though ..out hear committing felonies” and that his cost to kill them was “the price of a bullet.”
Prosecutors say Branson and Paul also used deer carcasses to lure eagles, enhancing their hunting effectiveness on the reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
The case underscores a larger issue, rising black market demand for eagle feathers and parts, which are used in certain Native American ceremonies.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has established a legal feather distribution program for tribal members, but a yearslong backlog has created a gap that traffickers have exploited. Eagle feathers, revered as symbols of strength and sacred to Native American traditions, are legally protected and cannot be sold on the open market.
Federal wildlife officials noted that their investigations into poaching often rely on tips from tribal communities and other citizens committed to ending wildlife trafficking.
“The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation’s cherished natural heritage,” Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, said.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes expressed deep concern about the impacts of the operation on their cultural heritage and ecosystem.
“Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in C.S.K.T. cultural and spiritual practices,” Tribal Chairman Mike Dolson said.
House adjourns, Senate stays to work on funding for Ukraine and Israel: The Morning Rundown, Dec. 15, 2023
With the House adjourned for the holidays, the Senate said it’s staying put to work on the Ukraine aid package. And, train passengers in New Jersey are joined by an unusual traveler during a wild morning commute. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.
House adjourns for holidays, Senate to continue talks on Ukraine aid
They’re heading home for the holidays while Ukrainians are heading right back into the fight.
National Security Council John Kirby
While making the announcement on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said negotiators have made “good progress” over a path forward on the $110 billion package, which Republicans say needs to include stricter immigration policies.
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“If we believe something is important and urgent, we should stay and get the job done,” Schumer said. “So, for the information of all Senators, after we finish today, the Senate will return on Monday. That will give negotiators from the White House, Senate Democrats, and Senate Republicans a time to work through the weekend in an effort to reach a framework agreement.”
Too many Republicans now seem more interested about flying home for the holidays than finishing the job.
If Republicans say the border is an emergency, they should be prepared to stay.
Crying fire about the border then saying we should go home the next is unserious. pic.twitter.com/dMGhiZogrq
National Security Council John Kirby accused House Republicans, who last week blocked the package from passing due to the border policy, of abandoning Ukraine in its time of need.
“They’re heading home for the holidays while Ukrainians are heading right back into the fight,” Kirby said.
EU to open membership talks with Ukraine, fails to agree on aid
However, the bloc could not agree on a $54 billion aid package for Ukraine. It’s not clear when talks for Ukraine’s entry into the EU will begin, a process that could take years but is still seen as a victory for Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president posted on X, “I thank everyone who worked for this to happen and everyone who helped. I congratulate every Ukrainian on this day.”
The #EUCO decision to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova has been adopted.
I thank everyone who worked for this to happen and everyone who helped. I congratulate every Ukrainian on this day.
I also congratulate Moldova and personally @SanduMaiamd.…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 14, 2023
A U.S. official said Sullivan will discuss “ongoing efforts to promote stability in the West Bank” by confronting terrorism and revamping and revitalizing the Palestinian Authority, the governing body of the West Bank.
The meeting comes as Israel and the U.S. continue to differ on what Gaza would look like once the war with Hamas ends; the United States said the Palestinian Authority should have a governing role in the territory, and Israeli leaders have rejected that idea.
I met today with @IsraeliPM, @yoavgallant, @gantzbe,@Tzachi_Hanegbi, & the War Cabinet in Tel Aviv to discuss our shared objective of defeating Hamas while minimizing harm to civilians & ensuring the increased and sustained flow of humanitarian assistance. https://t.co/3BKFb3bhBa
Sullivan’s visit comes as the Biden administration continues to show its support for Israel’s fight against Hamas while also calling for Netanyahu to focus on saving civilian lives. President Biden on Thursday, Dec. 14, said Israel should “not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful.”
Terror suspects reportedly linked to Hamas arrested in Europe
Denmark and Germany say seven terror suspects, some said to be members of Hamas, have been arrested, suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions across Europe amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
German prosecutors say three of the suspects arrested in Berlin and one arrested in the Netherlands are long-standing members of Hamas with close ties to the high ranks of the terror group. However, a Hamas official denied any connection between the group and those who were arrested in Europe.
According to Danish police, three people were arrested on suspicion of plotting to carry out an “act of terror.”
We commend our partners in the security and law enforcement agencies in Denmark for their successful counter-terrorist operation which culminated today in the arrests and in exposing the expansion of Hamas infrastructure to Europe.
It is unclear how or if the arrests in Denmark are connected to those made in Germany and the Netherlands.
The German justice minister said in a statement that they must do everything they can to keep the Jewish community safe, adding attacks on Jewish institutions have increased in their country in recent weeks.
2 men charged for allegedly killing 3,000 birds, including protected eagles
Two men have been charged with killing over 3,000 birds, including federally protected eagles, over a two-year period. According to the indictment, between January 2019 and March 2021, the two men, Simon Paul and Travis John Branson, deliberately killed 3,600 birds of prey, including Bald Eagles, and sold them on the black market.
Federal prosecutors said they had messages from Branson that said he was going on a “killing spree” to get eagle tail feathers for future sales. The indictment alleges that Branson would travel from Washington state to meet Paul on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana to help kill and ship the eagles to buyers for “significant sums of cash across the United States and elsewhere.”
The defendants have not been arrested but have been ordered to appear in court on Jan. 8. The two face charges for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, as well as a conspiracy count, which has a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.
Loose bull causes train delays in New Jersey
It’s something many people do every day: take a train to work. While delays are expected, what happened at Newark Penn Station in New Jersey on Thursday, Dec. 14, was not.
Police said no injuries were reported during the incident. The bull was taken to an animal sanctuary, where he is said to be resting after his busy morning commute.
Winds of change: Wyoming wind farms threaten golden eagle population
The golden eagle population in the United States is at risk of decline, according to biologists. Some of the greatest threats to these raptors are electrical lines, bullets, cars and wind turbines. While many of these hazards are entrenched in society, wind farms are a recent addition.
“Because this is a new technology and something new on the landscape, we have an opportunity to be proactive and find the best places where we can still harvest renewable energy but still reduce the risk to eagle populations,” said Bryan Bedrosian, director of the Teton Raptor Center in Wilson, Wyoming.
Currently, wind farms are prolific in Wyoming, where golden eagles nest and migrate. While the turbines can present a threat to golden eagles, wind energy provides a number of benefits. Nationwide, it helps avoid 329 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to the Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
“I’m certainly a green energy advocate, but to me it’s worrisome about where we’re putting some of these wind farms because they happen to be in exactly the best places for golden eagles,” biologist Mike Lockhart said.
Energy companies with wind farms in the region, like Pacificorp, are also implementing their own mitigation tactics.
“We have, on staff, biologists that help us with tracking migration patterns, bird behavior, and we have personnel at wind sites who are monitoring the activity of birds–particularly golden eagles in Wyoming,” said David Eskelsen, spokesman for Pacificorp. “And they have the authority to stop individual turbines if birds are observed in the area.”
Behind the scenes of ‘Winds of change: Wyoming’s golden eagles’
The state of Wyoming has become the epicenter of a struggle between wind energy and the at-risk golden eagles which inhabit the area. As more wind turbines are being built in areas favored by the birds, the risk of a potential population decline has been growing exponentially.
“In Wyoming, where this is kind of the nexus of eagles and wind, we do have to pause and think about is this the right space and is this the right landscape for this type of energy extraction,” said Bryan Bedrosian, director of the Teton Raptor Center.
Wind turbine blades can reach speeds of up to 180 mph, making them a danger for a species that is used to being at the top of the food chain and has never had to be on the alert for a natural predator. With only about 40,000 golden eagles in the United States, compared to the estimated 346,000 bald eagles in the country, the species is on the brink of a decline that is being exacerbated by deaths from turbine collisions.
Wyoming currently derives nearly a third of its total power from wind energy, and has plans to triple its wind-power capacity by 2030. The importance of this power source to the state has led some energy companies to implement a variety of mitigation tactics aimed at preventing golden eagle deaths on their wind farms.
“We have personnel at wind sites who are monitoring the activity of birds–particularly golden eagles in Wyoming. And they have the authority to stop individual turbines if birds are observed in the area,” said David Eskelsen, spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power and PacifiCorp.
While some of these attempts at mitigating the impact of turbines on eagles have show preliminary success, further research is still needed to determine their long-term effect in Wyoming. Straight Arrow News recently visited the region to speak with experts and investigate potential solutions, and the full report will publish on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Coming soon: Wyoming wind farms threaten golden eagles
Coming Tuesday, Oct. 18: Two groups normally aligned find themselves at odds in Wyoming. Green energy advocates and animal conservationists are colliding over policy and solutions as the pursuit for wind power threatens golden eagles. This specific bird population faces the risk of a decline in the United States since many man-made threats to raptors are entrenched in society, but the wind farms are a recent addition.
Is the solution as simple as ending the installment of wind turbines in areas where golden eagles nest and migrate? Or is a larger systemic problem at play?
Straight Arrow News visited the region to speak with experts and investigate the issues, the possible solutions, and the intertwined, complex risks.