Bald eagle soars off endangered list (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Peggy Mihelich
CNN

(CNN) -- The bald eagle, America's national symbol, is flying high after spending three decades in recovery. On Thursday, the government took the eagle off the Endangered Species Act's "threatened" list.
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But Kieran Suckling of the Center for Biological Diversity conservation group said this victory comes at a price -- loss of eagle habitat protection.

The bird's nesting grounds were protected as long as the bald eagle was considered a "threatened" species. But the less restrictive eagle protection act does not put eagle habitats off-limits.

Suckling said he worries that without habitat protection, developers will move into critical bald eagle areas, push the birds out and reduce their numbers.
***
In 2005, {a landowner} challenged the Fish and Wildlife Service to make good on its 1999 proposal to delist the bald eagle. He took the agency to court and won. His court battle led to the June 28 delisting.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/28/bald.eagle.delisting/index.html

Read down to the heading "Habitat protection" to see the bad news. Anyone who reads only the first section will see nothing but good news, courtesy of the patriotic elves from the magic kingdom of Freedomland.

[ClintonTyree]

1. Oh boy, it's deep fried Bald Eagle for dinner tonight!

:9 With a side of Condor and Spotted Owl. :9

JUST KIDDING! ;) But you KNOW there's a few "survivalists" considering it. They just love to kill stuff.

[youngdem]

2. This is bad news dressed up as good news

The Bald Eagle is only being declared recovered so that Bush's buddies can develop habitat that would have been off limits otherwise.

As with all things Bush does, this is an enormous crime only dressed up as a noble action.

May they all rot in hell.

[Bobbieo]

3. That is really BAD News{

[XemaSab]

4. No, no, no

They announced back in 1999 during the CLINTON administration that they were planning to delist the bald eagle, and they've been wrangling over it since.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-eagles28jun28,1,6469968.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Some of that "wrangling" is described in the OP:

One landowner ready for delisting is Minnesota retiree Edmund Contoski.

Contoski, 69, wants to build five log homes on his undeveloped seven-acre property along Lake Sullivan. However, the Endangered Species Act has prohibited development within 330 feet of an active bald eagle's nest on his property -- that covers all of Contoski's usable land.

"Eagles don't pay taxes; I pay taxes," Contoski said. "I'm paying taxes, and I can't do anything with the property."

In 2005, he challenged the Fish and Wildlife Service to make good on its 1999 proposal to delist the bald eagle. He took the agency to court and won. His court battle led to the June 28 delisting.

So you see, Mr. Contoski's right to make a profit by buying and "developing" property trumps the bald eagle's right to live out its natural existence. At least that's how the Bu**sh** maladministration sees it.

[malakai2]

7. It's not entirely bad news

For one thing, bald eagles still have protection from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. A lot of the harass/disturb text that is included in the take prohibitions in the Endangered Species Act is also included in the BGEPA regulations. So as far as extra developent goes, it's not like these guys are going to be free and clear to cut down trees and build wherever, whenever.

Then there is the reality that the population of bald eagles in the lower 48 is no longer threatened with extirpation. That's a good thing...if the species comes off the list now, then it shows progress, which is valuable when righties come out with their "the ESA does not lead to species recovery" talking point. Also, the Fish & Wildlife Service can move ahead with listing other species that are in dire need of listing protections instead of continuing to fight lawsuits on the merits of keeping bald eagles on the list-things like Gunnison's prairie dog, white-tailed prairie dog, greater sage grouse, mountain plover, etc.

[Javaman]

6. and just where is ashcroft when you need him to belt out a tune?

:scared: