"In fact, this bird of prey's future in the Commonwealth and the United States looks brighter now than it has in a long, long time," said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director. "As recently as 1997, Pennsylvania's bald eagle nesting population numbered 20 pairs. This spring, nesting pairs topped 50 for the first time in the Game Commission's more than 100-year existence. It's a milestone in conservation history, but isn't expected to be the high-water mark for the state's still-growing bald eagle population."

Pennsylvania probably is more hospitable to bald eagles today than it has been for more than 150 years. The birds are no longer persecuted thanks to enactment of laws that protect them. The state has more and better eagle habitat than ever. The threat of poisoning by DDT and other organochlorine pesticides has subsided since such chemicals were banned in America during the 1970s. Also, with federal mandates in the early 1990s requiring all waterfowl hunters to use steel shot, secondary lead poisoning was greatly reduced.

"Bald eagles are back," Ross noted. "They now are nesting in 20 counties, compared to 25 years ago when their nesting sites were limited to Crawford County's Pymatuning region -- which at the time appeared to be the bald eagle's last stand for nesting in our state. It's a remarkable comeback that was produced by landmark legislation, an innovative eagle trap-and-transfer program, and public participation and cooperation. It's a story to be proud of, one that should be shared with our children and grandkids and future generations of Pennsylvanians."

The Lake Erie shoreline and lower Susquehanna River were the bald eagle's historic strongholds. But DDT, water pollution, persecution and disturbances would conspire to eventually chase eagles from these locations. Manmade Pymatuning Lake would become the bald eagle's salvation. It marked the beginning of a relatively new twist in bald eagle habitat preferences, but one that wouldn't attract much attention until after eagles began their recovery in the 1990s.

In 1983, Pennsylvania's bald eagle reintroduction began when agency employees flew to Saskatchewan, Canada, and removed 12 eaglets from nests. Once in Pennsylvania, the eaglets were placed in elevated nesting structures -- called hack boxes -- on Haldeman Island in Dauphin County and near Shohola Falls in Pike County. The seven-year project, which was financed by the Richard King Mellon Foundation of Pittsburgh and the federal Endangered Species Fund, eventually led to the release of 88 Canadian eagles in Penn's Woods.

The reintroduction was buoyed by improving water quality and other environmental conditions; increased law enforcement efforts targeting wildlife black market operations; and eagle reintroductions in neighboring states.

"Our environmental quality has improved greatly over the past 20 years, and the bald eagle's return is surely linked to that healing," explained Cindy Adams Dunn, Audubon-Pennsylvania executive director. "Pennsylvania's challenge is to sustain its environmental gains. The rest is up to the eagles, which seem eager to stake nesting claims elsewhere in the state.

"The Game Commission has made great strides with its bald eagle management program. As a result, the bald eagle's presence in Pennsylvania is greater than it's ever been in my lifetime. That means more Pennsylvanians have a chance to see their first bald eagle in the wild. And, as those who have seen one know, it's truly an unforgettable experience."

The proliferation of impoundments in Pennsylvania over the past 50 years has helped pave the way for the exciting eagle recovery the state is experiencing. The dams, built for drinking water supply, flood control and recreation, flooded wetlands and creek bottoms that were, at best, marginal eagle habitat. Given time to age, many of the impoundments have evolved into terrific eagle nesting habitat.

Pennsylvania currently is home to 53 known bald eagle nests. In 2000, there were 48 pairs of nesting bald eagles. A year earlier, eagles had 41 nests. Nesting population growth over the past two years has been more normal than the explosion the state experienced from 1997 to 1999, according to Dan Brauning, Game Commission biologist.

"This year's nesting increase isn't the headline-grabber it was in 1999, when nesting pairs increased by 13," Brauning said. "But expansion continues.

The good news is our eagles haven't lost any ground and there's been very solid reproduction of young. Equally important is that new nests keep popping up in new places, places where eagles haven't been since the 1800s.

"Given the availability of uninhabited eagle habitat in Pennsylvania, it seems a safe bet that our nesting population will continue to increase. In fact, that increase over time should be substantial, given the vast areas of prime habitat still available for eagles to claim as their territory."

Nesting eagles are territorial. They really don't share stretches of river or large lakes with other pairs. They usually distance their nests by four to five miles along rivers and in large lake settings. That, however, is the only factor currently limiting eagles from moving into Pennsylvania's remaining, but considerable, unoccupied eagle habitat.

"In certain areas, like the lower Susquehanna River and the Pymatuning Lake area, eagles may be close to saturating their available habitat," Brauning said. "But in other areas, such as the north branch of the Susquehanna and upper Delaware River, as well as some of the state's large, currently uninhabited lakes, there's potential for the population to continue growing."

Places that Brauning believes have an excellent chance to lure nesting eagles include: Lake Nockamixon and the lower Delaware in Bucks County; the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers in southwestern Pennsylvania; as well as Beltzville and Pocono lakes in Monroe and Carbon counties.

"If Pine Creek can support two eagle nests, it seems possible that the Juniata River should get some nests soon, too," Brauning noted. "Eagles are nesting at the mouth of the Juniata on Haldeman Island and at Raystown Lake. The wait shouldn't be much longer."

Pennsylvania's nesting eagles seem to becoming more tolerant of people. There's a new nest near the Harrisburg International Airport. Another is along the shoreline of Raystown Lake, a watery paradise where many boaters converge daily to fish, ski and cruise.

"Many of our newer nests tend to be closer to more developed areas," Brauning said. "Interestingly, their success rate for rearing young isn't any different than nests in more remote settings. The young from these sites will be more acclimated to civilization, and it's possible that they may be more inclined to nest closer to developed areas. If they do, they'll be expanding the base of available nesting habitat, in essence, redefining what we now consider acceptable."

Nationally, bald eagles were upgraded from an "endangered" to "threatened" species in 1995. They were first put on the national endangered species list in 1967, when it was believed fewer than 500 nests were found in the lower 48 states. Today, the Chesapeake Bay has more than 600 nesting pairs. The lower 48 may soon have more than 6,000 nesting pairs. The Game Commission first listed the bald eagle as an endangered species in 1978, and it remains a state endangered species today.

Of course, not all the news on Pennsylvania's bald eagle front is always good. Jim Binder, who manages the Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, reported that in mid-March crows claimed two eggs from the resident pair's nest when the eagles chased away another eagle visiting the area. Fortunately, the pair eventually laid another egg, which has hatched.

On average, about 30 percent of Pennsylvania's nests fail annually for myriad reasons. Some are nests being established by young eagles that will not lay eggs until the following year. Predators, such as raccoons and crows, can and do claim eggs and young. Nesting trees also fall in storms.

Bald eagles inhabit aquatic ecosystems. They weigh seven to 11 pounds and have a 6- to 7-foot wingspan. The distinctive white head and tail do not blossom until the bird is four to five years old. The bird's Latin name, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, means "sea eagle with white head."

Bald eagles never received much attention from fish and wildlife agencies or the general public until DDT decimated their population in the lower 48 states. Despite their status as America's symbol and the protection they were afforded by the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, some people still shot them. In fact, Alaska, then a territory, paid bounties on bald eagles for close to 20 years after the act became law.

"Today, the outlook for bald eagles is promising," Brauning said. " What's happening here in Pennsylvania is occurring throughout the country. It's a renaissance of sorts for our once-fragile national bird. Let's hope it continues."

RECENT BALD EAGLE FOSTERING IN NORTHWEST REGION A SUCCESS

After more than two months, it appears two bald eagle chicks have been successfully fostered into new nests by Pennsylvania Game Commission Northwest Region employees.

"Had it not been for the diligent and extraordinary efforts of our officers and employees, these young birds would have met an untimely fate," said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director. "By rescuing these eaglets, our employees gave them a new lease on life. While we will not always be able to save every young eagle thrown from its nest, this rescue effort is a testament to the Game Commission's dedication to its wildlife conservation mission."

This most recent fostering attempt all started on April 12, when an eaglenest in a tree on State Game Lands 269 in central Crawford County blew over in a windstorm and spilled two eaglets onto the ground. On April 14, Game Commission Biologist Aide Brenda Peebles, Erie County Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) Mike Wojtecki, and Deputy WCOs John P. Kasony and Timothy P. Maruska were able to recover the two eaglets. After an examination by Dr. Kenneth Felix, an Erie veterinarian, the eaglets were placed in the care of the Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Crawford County.

On April 17, a climbing team from the Game Commission's Northwest Region, consisting of Venango County WCO Leonard C. Hribar and Land Management Group Supervisor (LMGS) Jerry A. Bish, began attempting to place the eaglets into existing wild nests on State Game Lands 214 in southwestern Crawford County.

"Conditions were poor because of high winds and snow squalls, but we were anxious to get the birds back into the wild before they became imprinted on humans," Bish said. "In order to find a suitable foster nest, we needed to make sure that the eaglets currently in the nest were similar in size to the ones we were looking to place. However, we also needed to avoid overburdening the parent eagles or causing a situation that would overcrowd the nest when the young are ready to fly by late June."

On April 23, after climbing several trees to examine potential nest sites over six days, suitable nests were identified in Mercer and Butler counties. The team successfully introduced the eaglets into separate nests each with only two young.

Assisting the team at the Mercer County site were Peebles, Land Management Group Supervisor James E. Deniker, Game Lands Maintenance Supervisor Michael H. Colgan and Game Commission Maintenance Worker Mark A. Karher. Assisting at the Butler County site were Peebles, Karher, Butler County WCO Arthur L. Brunst and Land Management Group Supervisor Dale E. Hockenberry.

"While fostering eaglets is an unusual event, this was not the first time our employees have been called on to do so," Ross said. He noted that, in 1996, the Game Commission assisted the Philadelphia Zoo in fostering into the wild a pair of eaglets that were hatched in captivity.

After a review of active nests was conducted, two suitable nests were identified: one on Haldeman Island, which is part of State Game Lands 290, Dauphin/Perry counties; and the other on Ford Island at the Pymatuning Wildlife Management Area on State Game Lands 214, Crawford County. In late spring of 1996, one was placed in each nest.