A Bald Eagle in Cedar Creek Park in Allentown. (Kevin Mingora, MORNING…)
Scarcely a day goes by without a bald eagle soaring within view of visitors at the Hawk Mountain Raptor Sanctuary.
For biologist Laurie Goodrich, the majestic birds' presence signals Pennsylvania is nearing a milestone in their recovery from near extinction.
"Definitely, this species has recovered very well," said Goodrich, who is in charge of monitoring migratory bird species at the Berks County conservation center.
Decimated by water pollution, extermination by farmers and the effects of the once ubiquitous pesticide DDT, there were only three mating pairs of bald eagles in Pennsylvania when the state Game Commission began its restoration effort 30 years ago.
Now, 266 pairs of bald eagles nest in Pennsylvania. Those birds, with pristine white heads and expansive wingspans, are mating successfully in 56 counties across the state including Northampton and Schuylkill.
And observations from year to year show the bald eagle population is soaring. Last year, researchers documented 237 nesting pairs statewide.
In September, the commission will consider a proposal to remove the bald eagle from the state's threatened species list, allowing state wildlife officials to ease their monitoring and enforcement of bald eagle protection.
"We're not going to be abandoning bald eagles. It's just going to be a little lower priority for us," game commission biologist Doug Gross said.
The bald eagle would remain a protected species, shielded from human harassment by three federal laws — the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Lacey Act. Those who harm or disturb eagles are subject to penalties of up to one year in prison and fines ranging from $5,000 to $250,000.
Responsibility for investigating threats to bald eagles in Pennsylvania would fall to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, Gross said.
Part of the decision to remove the bald eagle from the threatened species list is to ensure the list provides an accurate account of the animal species in the state that require special protection, Gross said.
"We consider very carefully what animals we put on the list," he said.
The change would also free Game Commission resources to step up monitoring of other threatened and endangered species in Pennsylvania.
"We'd like to learn more about where they are, and that takes dedicated attention," Gross said.
The bald eagle, however, has become a relatively common sight for Pennsylvanians. There have been sightings in Bethlehem, Allentown, Pittsburgh and elsewhere.
Eagles have also nested at PPL Corp.'s Martin's Creek Preserve, with nine sighted during a bird count last winter, according to the company's conservation blog.
A pair of bald eagles nesting near a bike path along the Allegheny River created a buzz in Pittsburgh this summer, Gross said.
"It attracted dozens of people each day who spent hours watching the nest," he said.
One conservationist who spent years fostering the eagles' close cousin, the osprey, to Pennsylvania said he's concerned removing the bald eagle from the threatened list might have unintended consequences.
Larry Rymon, who began moving young osprey from the Chesapeake Bay area to Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties in 1980, said he often confronted people who shot at osprey. He noted there was once a bounty on bald eagles because they presented a threat to fish hatcheries.
If bald eagles become less revered, people might be more inclined to recklessly or unthinkingly harm them, said Rymon, who moved to northwest Washington after retiring from East Stroudsburg University in 1997.
"They better make the public understand that if they're no longer threatened, they're still protected," Rymon said.
Gross said the Game Commission will continue its policy of educating people about eagles. Although it doesn't publicize the location of every nest, it offers tips for watching bald eagles nesting in parks and on public property.
And the ability to predictably spot bald eagles gives the state a cache among bird watchers, said Mary Linkevich, director of communications at Hawk Mountain.
"Hawk Mountain is a perfect example of the economic impact of nature tourism," Linkevich said, noting that the conservatory's visitors drive an average of 50 miles and funnel money into the region's economy. "When there are bald eagles to see, all of that is all the better."