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A crowd of dignitaries, conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts and journalists were assembled at the Phoenix Zoo under the intense and watchful eyes of Liberty, a 20 year old bald eagle ambassador from Liberty Wildlife. The purpose of the gathering was to sign a conservation agreement that spelled out the way the bald eagles would be managed in Arizona in the future.
The agreement is not without controversy. While the eagle has made huge gains nationwide, the southwest bald eagle remains challenged because of the issues surrounding its desert habitat. Critics believe that if the delisting of the bald eagle takes place as it is expected to, that resources will dry up and the southwest bald eagle will not receive the resources needed to maintain the gains it has made under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.
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The Bald Eagle Management Committee, made up of 22 members, has worked together since the 1990’s to manage the resource. The new plan is based on the plan that they have operated on over the past 17 years. However, not all of the members of this group have signed the agreement. Duane Shroufe, director of Arizona Game and Fish, assured the group that if past moneys became unavailable with the delisting of the eagle, the Arizona Game and Fish would step up to “take up the slack”.
A power point presentation recalled the history of the program including the many people who have come together to support the bald eagles in the state. Awards of recognition were given to Mark Santee of the United States Bureau of Reclamation for piloting the many helicopter ‘fly overs’. Salt River Project was also recognized for their pilots and helicopter hours donated to the cause. Finally Liberty Wildlife was recognized for the dedication to and rehabilitation of many bald eagles over the years.
After the signing of the Conservation Agreement and closing statements, Delmar Boni, a traditional healer from the San Carlos Apaches led the group in a moving closing blessing. We all hoped that this would “seal the deal” for the future strength of our southwestern bald eagle population in the state of Arizona.
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