SHERMAN, Texas — After a bald eagle nest was found destroyed on private property, officials and a nonprofit are offering a $15 thousand reward for information.
Bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Killing or disturbing an eagle or its feathers, nests or eggs is a violation of those laws.
A concerned citizen reported an active bald eagle nest on private property being developed for a subdivision on West Lamberth Road in Sherman, Texas, according to a press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A Texas Game Warden verified the nest on Feb. 15, 2023, and saw two bald eagles on it.
Just days later, on Feb. 20 Special Agents with the Service’s Office of Law Enforcement confirmed reports that the nest was illegally destroyed.
On Aug. 14. the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initially offered a reward of $1,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for destroying the nest. The Center for Biological Diversity increased the reward to $15,000, contributing $13,500.
“I’m outraged by the destruction of this eagle nest, and the perpetrator needs to be brought to justice for harming America’s national bird,” Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center, said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Service’s Office of Law Enforcement in Fort Worth, Texas 817-334-5202 or the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Operation Game Thief hotline, 800-792-GAME.
The maximum penalty for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act is one year in jail and $100,000 per individual or $200,000 per organization for the first offense. The maximum penalty for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act ranges from six months to one year in jail and fines of up to $250,000 per individual, depending on whether an individual is convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony, according to the release.