Staff reports

In a new release issued Wednesday morning, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said an active bald eagle nest located on private land near West Lamberth Road in Sherman has been destroyed. The Service is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for the destruction.

“On Feb. 15, 2023, a concerned citizen reported an active bald eagle nest on a private property being developed for a subdivision,” the release said. “While visiting the location, a Texas Game Warden verified the nest and observed two bald eagles sitting atop it. During a site visit conducted days later on Feb. 20, 2023, Special Agents with the Service’s Office of Law Enforcement confirmed subsequent reports that the nest had been illegally destroyed.”

Callers with any information about the protected animal’s nest can remain anonymous.

“Anyone with information regarding the destruction of this eagle nest 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 release continued. 

“Bald eagles were removed from Endangered Species Act protection in June 2007 after being declared recovered, due in part to habitat protection and protection from human-caused disturbance, but they remain 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 these acts.”

The maximum penalty for a criminal violation of 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 Migratory Bird Treaty Act carries maximum penalties ranging 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.