Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for Bald Eagle
by Pete & Pam Wright
Stingray Point, Middlesex County, Virginia

Background l HCPs l Eagles Vacate Nest l
Eagle Success Story l Our HCP & Supporting Docs l Correspondence l Maps

Background

We, Pete and Pam Wright, live on Stingray Point near Deltaville, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay [topographical map].

In 2002, we entered into a contract to purchase land on Stingray Point. We planned to build a house on this land and looked forward to teaching our grandchildren to fish, crab, swim, and sail. The Chesapeake Bay is home to many waterbirds - ospreys, bald eagles, great blue herons, brown pelicans, egrets, and cormorants. Learn more about the Chesapeake Bay

We knew about a pair of bald eagles who had a nest in the area. In 1999, the pair built a nest next to State Route 33, across the road from Stingray Harbor Marina [aerial photo of marina]. This nest produced two young in 1999. In 2000, the nest tree blew down during a winter storm. [photo of old nest near Rte 33]

In 2001, the eagles built a new nest on this property, about one-quarter mile from their original nest. More than forty houses are within one-quarter mile of this bald eagle nest. The eagles have a clear line of sight to the people who live in these houses. Topo map of both bald eagle nests in relation to the houses

U. S. Fish and Wildlife staff advised us that we needed to get a Permit from them before we could build our house. Over the next nine months, we spent more than 1,500 hours trying to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan that was acceptable to FWS.

In March 2003, the eagles vacated the nest and built another nest elsewhere. In August, 2003, the nest blew out of the tree.

We hope the information on these pages is useful to other individuals who find themselves in similar situations.

Habitat Conservation Plans

When there is an active eagle nest on private property, the landowner is advised to consult with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service about whether they need to submit an application for an Incidental Take Permit and a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Learn about HCPs and ITPs

In August and September, 2002, state and federal officials assumed the nest was active and advised us to go through this process. However, the eagles vacated the nest and built another nest elsewhere.

We did exhaustive research into the legal and regulatory issues relating to bald eagles, the Endangered Species Act, habitat conservation plans, and incidental-take permits. This page includes links to this information.

Eagles Vacate Nest

On March 17, 2003, Craig Koppie, FWS Endangered Species Biologist, made a site visit and reported that the eagles vacated the nest. Mr. Koppie's observations were confirmed by Dr. Bryan D. Watts of the Center for Conservation Biology who conducts annual flyovers to count bald eagle nests in Virginia. According to Dr. Watts, there was no evidence that the eagles had taken any of the normal steps to use the nest. On the same date, FWS received a report that the eagles built a nest on another creek in the area.

We are delighted that bald eagles have returned to the Chesapeake Bay. Learn more about bald eagles on the Chesapeake Bay.

Bald Eagle Success Story

By the late 1960's, because the widespread use of DDT caused the eggshells to become extremely thin, the bald eagle population plummeted. At one point, there were only 32 pairs of breeding eagles in Virginia. In 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT. After this ban, the bald eagle population soared.

In 1995, because of the "significant increase in nesting pairs, increased productivity and expanded distribution," U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the bald eagle from "endangered" to "threatened." In that year, Virginia had 151 active nests that produced 220 young. [read FR notice] An "endangered" species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A "threatened" species is one that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. (NOTE: Since the bald eagle population is doubling every five years, it is highly unlikely that the species will become endangered in the foreseeable future) [Learn how listing decisions are made]

on July 2, 1999, President Clinton declared, "The bald eagle is now back from the brink of extinction, thriving in virtually every state of the union." [News release from FWS]

On July 6, 1999, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a notice in the Federal Register about the proposal to remove bald eagles from the endangered species list. Government officials have delayed taking action to remove bald eagles from the list.

In September 1999, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay reported "Dramatic evidence of the eagle's turnaround can be found on the lower James River, where biologists counted 106 eagles in two hours on a recent boat trip. No eagles could be found along the James 20 years ago." Full text of article

In 2001, the Chesapeake Bay Basin had 618 active nests that produced 908 young. Read article

In 2001, the Center for Conservation Biology issued a news release entitled "Virginia Bald Eagle Population Soars!"

According to Rob Gordon, Executive Director of the National Wilderness Institute: "Wildlife biologists attribute the eagle's recovery primarily to the ban on DDT that occurred in 1972, before the Endangered Species Act was passed. The eagle is proving to be a tough, adaptable bird that is dramatically increasing in numbers not only in the countryside, but in suburban and even urban areas. Full text of article

Pete & Pam Wright's Application, HCP & Supporting Documents

Habitat Conservation Plan [Note: This pdf file is very large. If you want to read this HCP, we suggest that you right click the link, save the document to your hard drive, then print.]

Documents cited in the HCP

Correspondence between FWS & Wrights

Maps - Virginia, Middlesex County, Stingray Point

Photos

Bald Eagle Information

VA Bald Eagle Guidelines