The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has enacted a new eagle permitting regulation, claiming to promote eagle conservation. The regulation allows wind energy projects to receive permits, allowing them to kill eagles without consequences. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits the “take” of eagles, and in 2009, the Fish and Wildlife Service authorized the “incidental take” of eagles. In 2013, the agency issued guidance to wind energy developers requiring them to complete Eagle Conservation Plans and run eagle-fatality models to predict the project’s potential for “take” of eagles. However, the 2024 rule revision provides two permitting options – a specific permit and a general permit, which are easier to obtain, less costly, and with fewer mitigation and monitoring conditions. The 2024 regulation does not give the Fish and Wildlife Service authority to prevent the siting of wind projects in high eagle concentration areas or have any recourse when siting guidance is ignored. The Trump administration’s August guidance aimed at forcing wind energy projects to comply with the law is a good start, but amending the 2024 Biden permitting regulations is necessary to protect the national symbol of eagles.
Biden’s wind energy regulations are still causing harm to eagles and require reversal. Mr. PopZit 1708
