Letter about bald eagles are soaring in Minnesota…
To the Editor,
Readers taking in Mary Bell’s April 5 commentary, “The death of one bald eagle,” should also read the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s April 1 news report titled, “By any metric, Minnesota is at the center of bald eagles’ rebound.” The first line gets to the point: “The bald eagle population in Minnesota is soaring, benefiting from conservation measures.” Forty years ago, Minnesota was home to only 181 nesting pairs of bald eagles. In 2017, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources found there were nearly 10,000 nesting pair. Recently, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced there are more than 317,000 bald eagles soaring high in America today, quadrupling the bald eagle population since 2009. Wabasha, Minn.’s National Eagle Center Marketing Manager Ed Hanh put Minnesota’s eagle recovery efforts in context, saying, “Bald eagles are the poster for success.” Bald eagle recovery is the greatest conservation success story in the country’s history, and Minnesota hunters have played a significant role. When hunters purchase firearms, equipment and the ammunition of their choosing, they support conservation and wildlife management. The firearm and ammunition industry has contributed more than $13.6 billion in Pittman-Robertson excise taxes since 1937. These funds go to states to help with conservation projects and wildlife management, like bringing bald eagle populations back from the brink in Minnesota. That’s the clear science.
Lawrence G. Keane
Senior Vice President and
General Counsel for
Government Affairs
National Shooting Sports
Foundation, Washington, D.C.