Public Safety Starts New Round of Eagle Evictions
Monday, April 07 2014
This weekend, Unalaska’s public safety department took steps to keep a family of bald eagles from returning to nest in the center of town.
Police chief Jamie Sunderland says the area around the Iliuliuk Family and Health Services Clinic has always been a popular neighborhood for eagles -- and a hotspot for attacks during their annual nesting season. The birds already swooped one jogger near the clinic this spring.
"Recently, they started rebuilding that nest in that location," Sunderland says. "Before it was occupied again, we took the nest down with a fire hose stream."
Sunderland says public safety workers drove the their fire truck to the spot where the nests were taking shape, and blasted the twigs away in a matter of minutes.
That was legal under a permit granted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2013. Fish and Wildlife determined that the nest near the clinic was a hazard to human safety, so allowed the city to knock it down.
"The permit’s open for a few years and it deals specifically with rebuilding efforts -- to discourage them from building in that spot," Sunderland says.
As long as the nest near the clinic isn’t occupied -- that means there are no eggs or chicks in it -- the City of Unalaska can dismantle it again and again.
Sunderland says the hope is that the eagles will eventually leave the area and find a new spot to call home.
"And hopefully the next location won’t be one where pedestrians are being attacked!" Sunderland says.
Bald eagles have been known to nest near the Dutch Harbor post office and on the cliffs above Airport Beach Road. Since spring started, there have been no reports of attacks in those areas.
Feralcat on Tuesday, April 29 2014:
Leave the eagles alone! You know the eagles are there so just change your jogging route! Learn to live with nature.
A better idea on Friday, April 11 2014:
I have a better idea. Why don't we have the fire dept hose the jogger and just maybe those dang eagles will finally learn to get along
one idea on Thursday, April 10 2014:
Relocate that family of eagles to a new home like the lower 48.
Innocent bystander on Wednesday, April 09 2014:
It seems pretty absurd to think that by taking down a nest you are resolving the Eagle problem. Maybe just educating the public about existing with nature would be a better solution. Sending the fire department out to do their Rambo thing doesn't resolve anything. You think the fire dept taught those Eagles some type of lesson? The only lesson learned here is the lack of ability of some in this town to exist with nature. I've lived here for over 35 years and spend over 60 percent of my time outside and have never had an issue with those "Pesky" eagles!
flying raptors on Tuesday, April 08 2014:
How much money has been spent on eagle nests in recent years?
Doesn't the city have better ideas on how to best spend tax-payer money?
Why is the department of public safety spending time/money/resources on such a miniscule issue? I thought UDPS existed to address criminal behavior.
Alonzo Parra on Tuesday, April 08 2014:
Leave the damn eagles alone! The cops should be crime fighting, not harassing the symbol of this great land. Onward, to glory!
LMH Hampton on Tuesday, April 08 2014:
I frankly do not believe anyone who says an eagle 'swooped' menacingly at them. This is not their nature.