With the impending declassification of the national symbol of the United States — the bald eagle — in the news release below, Idaho F & G gives an overview of the current status of eagles in Idaho.
The major factor in the decline of the bald and the golden eagle was the long-lasting, primitive insecticide, DDT, which caused the thinning of the egg shells of eagles and many other birds of prey.
Strong protection of eagle came with the banning of DDT and through the endangered species act. There was strong federal action against the sloppy use of predator poisons after a series of stunning revelations about the mass killing of eagles in Wyoming and Texas by poisons set out by ranchers and their captive federal agency Animal Damage Control (now camouflaged as “Wildlife Services”) and ranchers sport-shooting eagles out of the sky from aircraft.
News Release. Idaho will continue to keep an eye on eagles. Idaho Fish and Game News Release.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
