authorized, funded, or carried out by them do not 

 jeopardize the continued existence of such 

 endangered species and threatened species or 

 result in the destruction or modification of 

 habitat of such species which is determined by 

 the Secretary, after consultation as appropriate 

 with the affected States, to be critical." 



Critical habitat for bald eagles has not been officially identified, but 

 efforts are underway nationwide to establish criteria for this designation. 

 Regional Bald Eagle Recovery Teams were formed in 1978 to identify critical 

 habitat and coordinate other aspects of bald eagle research and management. A 

 recent study of bald eagles in Maine, co-sponsored by the U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and 

 the University of Maine at Orono Wildlife Department (Todd 1979; and Todd and 

 Owen 1979) provided a basis for these evaluations within the State. 



Measures to protect Maine bald eagles were initiated prior to their 

 designation as an endangered species since 1973. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service (FWS) coordinated a cooperative landowner agreement program to 

 preserve eagle nest sites in the State (Gramlich 1975). FWS also conducted 

 experimental transplants to bolster the depressed productivity of Maine eagles 

 (U.S. Department of the Interior 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1979). A total of 18 

 eggs and nestlings from captive breeding or wild populations in Minnesota and 

 Wisconsin were substituted for eggs of traditionally unsuccessful breeding 

 pairs in Maine. Seven fledglings resulted. Four of the removed eggs hatched 

 and were reintroduced via fostering. Improved techniques should permit 

 greater success rates in the future. 



Corr (1976) prepared a bald eagle management plan for the Maine Department of 

 Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He described basic population status, habitat 

 availability, management concepts, and research needs. The latter were 

 incorporated as basic research objectives of an intensive study conducted from 

 1976 to 1978 (Todd 1979; and Todd and Owen 1979). Investigations focused on 

 the ecology of Maine's breeding eagles (nesting habitat, breeding chronology, 

 population size, productivity, and factors affecting the population), 

 wintering eagles (population size, distribution and location of major 

 wintering areas), and eagle food habits (diet composition and contamination of 

 food supplies). The results of this research provided a basis for updating 

 Maine's bald eagle management program (Todd, in preparation ) . Management 

 objectives reflect minimum levels of recruitment essential for population 

 stability and future growth to achieve an eventual goal of declassifying Maine 

 eagles as endangered. Proposed programs are grouped into inventory, research, 

 management, and education functions (figure 16-6). 



Guidelines for management of all known breeding sites in Maine are being 

 developed on an individual basis, a policy initiated in national forests 

 (Mathisen et al. 1977). Each plan summarizes all data available on physical 

 habitat, nesting history, and research information at each site. Inquiries 

 concerning possible site-specific impacts near important eagle habitats (see 

 atlas map 4) should be directed to either (1) the appropriate regional 

 biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, (2) 



16-48 



