Biologists Evaluate Road Threat To Eagles

By Doug MacPherson on Wednesday, February 14, 2001.

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THE DISCOVERY OF A FIFTH BALD EAGLE NESTING SITE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE RAISES QUESTIONS FOR STATE HIGHWAY PLANNERS. THE NEST IS NEXT TO THE MERRIMACK RIVER IN BEDFORD, RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THE STATE WANTS TO BUILD AN ACCESS ROAD TO MANCHESTER AIRPORT. STATE AND FEDERAL BIOLOGISTS MUST NOW EVALUATE WHETHER CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD WOULD HARM THE NEST.
N-H-P-R?S DOUG MACPHERSON REPORTS.

LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, EAGLES WERE LISTED AS ENDANGERED UNDER THE FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, OR E-S-A. LAST SUMMER, IN LIGHT OF THEIR RECOVERY NATIONALLY, EAGLES WERE DOWNLISTED TO ?THREATENED.? TODAY, THEY STILL ENJOY ALL THE PROTECTIONS OF THE E-S-A , ALTHOUGH THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE -- PERHAPS SOMETIME THIS YEAR ? THAT THE SPECIES WILL BE DE-LISTED ALTOGETHER. UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, HOWEVER, THE U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IS REQUIRED TO PROTECT EAGLES AND THEIR HABITAT. FOR PAUL NICKERSON, CHIEF OF ENDANGERED SPECIES FOR THE NORTHEAST REGION OF THE SERVICE, THAT MEANS EVALUATING WHETHER THE MANCHESTER AIRPORT ACCESS ROAD WOULD HARM AN EAGLES NEST LOCATED LESS THAN AN EIGHTH OF A MILE AWAY.

TAPE NICKERSON: :18

NICKERSON SAYS ACTIVITY THAT MIGHT CAUSE ONE PAIR OF EAGLES TO ABANDON THEIR NEST MIGHT BE IGNORED BY ANOTHER. HE SAYS THE
E-S-A DOESN?T SPELL OUT EXACTLY WHAT KINDS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY CONSTITUTE A DISRUPTION. RATHER, IT LAYS DOWN CRITERIA THAT FEDERAL BIOLOGISTS MUST USE TO EVALUATE DISRUPTION.

TAPE NICKERSON: :24

IN THE SAME WAY, STATE BIOLOGISTS MUST INSURE THAT THE STATE?S ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IS UPHELD. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THAT JOB FALLS TO JOHN KANTER, ENDANGERED SPECIES COORDINATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME. KANTER SAYS EAGLE RECOVERY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ? THAT?S WHY EAGLES HERE ARE LISTED AS ENDANGERED. BUT KANTER MUST CARRY OUT AN EVALUATION SIMILAR TO THAT OF
U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE?S.

TAPE KANTER :26

KANTER SAYS SO FAR, HE?S LEARNED OF A PAIR OF BALD EAGLES IN MARYLAND THAT BUILT A NEST WITHIN 300-FEET OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE. IN THAT CASE, THE EAGLES CHOSE THE SITE AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION WAS UNDERWAY ? SO CONSTRUCTION WAS NOT HALTED. BUT KANTER?S ALSO LEARNED OF CASES IN MAINE, IN WHICH FAR LESS ACTIVITY, MUCH FURTHER AWAY, THAT BEGAN AFTER EAGLES NESTED -- CAUSED THEM TO ABANDON THEIR NESTS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AND THE U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE WILL EACH HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER THE ACCESS ROAD IS FINE AS PROPOSED, WHETHER IT MUST BE ALTERED, OR WHETHER IT MUST BE RE-LOCATED. IF INTERESTED PARTIES DON?T LIKE THEIR DECISIONS, THEY CAN TAKE THE AGENCIES TO COURT. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON.