Bald eagle breeding closure areas lifted on most Arizona lakes and rivers
PHOENIX — With the bald eagle breeding season drawing to an end for 2009, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and its partners are lifting most of the closures at lakes and rivers statewide. The closures at Woods Canyon Lake and Crescent Lake will remain in effect until Aug. 31 because bald eagle breeding activities are still continuing in those areas.
Most closures, including popular recreation spots like Lake Pleasant, Roosevelt Lake, and the lower Verde River, were lifted in June after the nestlings successfully fledged from the nest.
Each year, land and wildlife management agencies close bald eagle breeding areas for part of the year, beginning in December, to protect the state’s bald eagles. Outdoor recreationists are asked to help protect these important breeding areas by honoring the closures.
“Bald eagles are particularly sensitive to human disturbance during the breeding season,” says Kenneth Jacobson, head of the Arizona Game and Fish Department Bald Eagle Management Program. “Thanks to the public’s cooperation with our management efforts, the species is doing well in Arizona.”
Human activity near active bald eagle nests can cause a breeding pair to leave its eggs uncovered, leading to a failed breeding attempt. Human presence can also cause a young bird to prematurely leave the nest.
The bald eagle was federally listed as an endangered species in 1978. Nationally, the birds recovered enough to be removed from the list last year, but they remain listed as an endangered species in Arizona pending a final ruling from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expected in October.
Management of the bald eagle falls under the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s program to recover species that are declining or that have been extirpated from the state.
Through its partnerships with other public agencies, non-profit organizations and the science community, the department’s wildlife recovery program aims to prevent species from becoming endangered and conserve them in a more cost-effective manner. State-level involvement provides closer oversight of wildlife species on a day-to-day basis. Specific emphasis is placed on identifying and managing the wildlife and habitat of greatest conservation need, or those species that are no longer abundant and facing increasing threats from habitat degradation, disease, introduction of non-native species and climate change.
Adaptive management of these species helps ensure their continued presence in Arizona and protects the delicate balance of the ecosystem for future generations.
Arizona State Airport System Plan (SASP) Draft Chapters
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Aeronautics Division Names Flagstaff 2009
“Airport of the Year”
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport Director John Lauher and Division Director Barclay Dick.
The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport was the recipient of this year’s “Airport of the Year” award, sponsored annually by the Aeronautics Division of the Arizona Department of Transportation, (ADOT). Aeronautics Division Director, Barclay Dick, presented the award at the 2009 Arizona Airports Association’s, (AzAA) annual Spring Conference, held coincidently this year in Flagstaff.
“This year the competition for the award was intense,” said Mr. Dick. “All six nominated airports had many worthy accomplishments that merited consideration.” more....
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ARIZONA TRANSPORTATION BOARD POLICIES REVISION |
The ADOT Aeronautics Division is in the process of revising and updating the Arizona Transportation Board Aviation Policies, Fiscal Year 2003.
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