As a result of its population increasing, the Bald Eagle is about to be removed from the Endangered Species list, allowing new potential for human impact. New research shows even human recreation can adversely effect the birds. I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment. Over the past 40 years, the Bald Eagle has made a comeback and is soon to be taken off the endangered species list. But human effects on the birds are still under scrutiny.
New research shows even recreational activity near nesting eagles can have a negative effect.
It's a river that has quite a bit of use by humans during the middle part of the summer, primarily for camping and particularly for fishing for King Salmon. What we recommended to the folks in Alaska where we did this was that they monitor visitor use, and it reaches what we might consider a critical threshold, then they establish some spatial restrictions. Essentially that would just preclude people from spending long periods of time within 500 meters of an Eagle nest. With help from its Environmental Studies Program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education. I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.