filed: May 24, 2023 • U.S., Wyoming
Criminal cases for killing eagles decline as wind turbine dangers grow
Credit: Matthew Brown and Camille Fassett | May 17, 2023 | apnews.com ~~
Criminal cases brought by U.S. wildlife officials for killing or harming protected bald and golden eagles dropped sharply in recent years, even as officials ramped up issuing permits that will allow wind energy companies to kill thousands of eagles without legal consequence.
The falloff in enforcement of eagle protection laws – which has accelerated under President Joe Biden – was revealed in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data obtained by The Associated Press.
It comes amid growing concern that a proliferation of wind turbines to feed a growing demand for renewable energy is jeopardizing golden eagle populations already believed to be declining in some areas.
Dozens of permits approved or pending would allow roughly 6,000 eagles to be killed over several decades, government documents show. Most permits are for wind farms, and more than half the killed birds would be golden eagles.
https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/05/24/criminal-cases-for-killing-eagles-decline-as-wind-turbine-dangers-grow/
