Buffalo Field Office
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Elser | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
Volunteers Needed for Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey
As part of a national survey effort, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Buffalo Field Office (BFO) is seeking volunteers to assist with the 2013 Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey on Saturday, Jan. 12.
Participants are asked to count eagles along standard routes in order to identify population trends. The standard routes are distributed across the Powder River Basin and will follow public roads such as Lower Powder River Road.
In a change from previous years, volunteers are encouraged to pre-register for survey routes. To pre-register, contact Charlotte Darling at (307) 684-1045 by Friday, Jan. 4. Pre-registration is especially encouraged for routes in Sheridan and Johnson counties. Any routes that are not assigned during pre-registration will be available at the public meetings listed below.
Public meetings will be held to discuss survey methodology, eagle identification and to distribute survey materials.
Meetings will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the following locations:
- Sheridan Jan. 8, 2013 Inner Circle, Sheridan County Library, 335 W Alger
- Buffalo Jan. 9, 2013 BLM Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street
- Gillette Jan. 10, 2013 Pioneer I Room, Campbell County Library, 2101 4-J Road
During last year’s survey, 69 volunteers counted 308 eagles throughout the Powder River Basin, including 180 bald eagles. A total of 1736 eagles have been counted since surveys of the Basin began in 2006.
The national survey was established in 1979 by the National Wildlife Federation to develop a winter population index of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and to identify previously unrecognized winter habitats. Over the years the national survey has been coordinated by BLM, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and is currently coordinated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Wildlife professionals from BLM, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and National Park Service (NPS) coordinate local efforts across Wyoming. The Cody BLM has been coordinating surveys in the Bighorn Basin since the late 1980’s. Currently, survey results from 1979-2012 are being used to determine bald eagle and golden eagle population trends.
To volunteer, or for additional information, contact Charlotte Darling at (307) 684-1045. For more information on the national program visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/employees/bird/midwinter.cfm.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Buffalo Field Office 1425 Fort Street Buffalo, WY 82834