National symbol comes back strong

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The once-endangered bald eagle, the bird that symbolizes America, is making great strides in its comeback after 25 years of conservation efforts, state Game Commission biologists say.

The bald eagle has expanded its range in the state and is known to be nesting in at least 47 of the state's 67 counties, the commission announced this week. In 1983, only three nests were known to exist in the entire state.

This year's nest count is expected to exceed 140, up from the estimated 120 nests in 42 counties in June 2007.

The bird, still safeguarded by federal law, is listed as threatened in Pennsylvania, but Doug Gross, ornithologist for the Game Commission, said it is making great strides.

"What's happening here is also happening in other states," Gross said. "Bald eagles are thriving in Ohio, New York and in Maryland, where more than 400 pairs have been documented."

In northcentral counties of this state, he said, the eagles are also doing quite well.

"For decades they had declined," he said of the bald eagle's near-extinction. Poor water quality and the use of the pesticide DDT decimated the eagle population until conservation efforts led to the ban of that chemical. More recently, stream, river and other water quality efforts have improved waterways and led to better food resources.

"The habitat and water quality today is much better than it was 60 to 70 years ago, especially in the Williamsport area, where the timber industry and mining did a number on our streams and the river," Gross said.

"Those were good nesting areas, and a lot was deforested. And back in the old days, people would have shot at eagles."

Now people are a lot more conservation-minded, he said.

"We have at least 140 nesting sites now and I suspect we will have over 150 nests this year," Gross said. "We have had compounded interest - we have had 15 percent population growth annually."

Statewide, about 1,100 eaglets have been produced by the reintroduced birds, he said.

In the region, bald eagles have been sighted and nesting has been confirmed, he said.

"There is one (nest) in Cameron County, one in Centre, two in Elk County and there are three in Lycoming County that are associated with the Pine Creek area," Gross said.

"Up in that area, you have the steep mountainsides covered with trees and some of these nests are there. There are five nests in Tioga County. Two are associated with Pine Creek and the other three are associated with the Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque reservoirs. One of them is a new nest."

One of the original pairs released continue to nest in the upper Pine Creek area, Gross said.

But he is also sure that there are more.

"I think we are missing one (nesting pair) in the Pine Creek area and we also have a new one over in Clearfield County," Gross added. "There is also one in Northumberland County, near the Susquehanna River."

There is also one known nest in Sullivan County.

"I grew up in Loyalsock Township and as a kid I hiked the Loyalsock Trail many times, and I'm pretty sure we are missing some nests along the Loyalsock (Creek) somewhere," he said.

Since 1983, a total of 88 eaglets were released in the state from Haldeman Island in Dauphin County and Shohola Falls in Pike County. Many of the eagles seen today came from such initial releases, Gross said.

"The fact that they are setting up nests along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River is a good sign," he said. "Every fisherman should be glad to see bald eagle nests, because that means there is a good fish population, because they have to feed every day, several times per day."

He said people should avoid disturbing bald eagle nests, because it is illegal and the birds tend to shy away from human influence. People should stay at least 1,000 feet away to avoid disturbing them.

"I think this is a very classic recovery, right out of the textbook," he said, adding that there is still a lot of room for the bald eagle to expand its range.

"It says a lot about the habitat quality in Pennsylvania, and it says a lot about the people in Pennsylvania, because they have been a big part of this. With the conservation efforts, the people have been very supportive."