Bald Eagle Nest Surveys at Fort A.P. Hill 2017
Abstract
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was taken off of the federal endangered species list in August of 2007 but continues to receive federal protection through the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Department of Defense (DOD) guidance directs military installations to protect nesting locations by following the National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines published by the US Fish & Wildlife Service in order to maintain compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald & Golden Eagle Protection Act. Due to its size, land use history, and geographic location, Fort A.P. Hill harbors a large and increasing population of nesting bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). In the past two years, three new nesting locations have been discovered incidentally, and it is believed that many more exist and have yet to be located. A systematic inventory of nesting locations is critical to maintaining these protections without any adverse effects to the military training mission.
