News Releases GA. Wildlife Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATE BIOLOGISTS DOCUMENT 94 NESTING PAIRS OF BALD EAGLES IN GEORGIA
Nests yield 120 fledglings

FORSYTH, Ga. (April 17, 2006) - Biologists from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) have documented 94 nesting pairs of bald eagles in Georgia during the 2005-2006 nesting season. The figure represents a 15 percent increase from the previous season's total of 82 active nests.

"The bald eagle population in Georgia had apparently flattened out over the past three years, with known nesting pairs numbering in the low 80s," said WRD Sr. Wildlife Biologist Jim Ozier. "It is extremely encouraging to see that figure increase this year, along with the number of young produced."

Among the documented nests this year, 76 were successful in fledging 120 young eagles, the highest total since the state began recording the data in 1978. Last nesting season, 62 nests were successful in fledging 94 young eagles. The state's previous highest documented production of young was 107 in 2004.

"Just a few years ago, conservation agencies were spending thousands of dollars per bird to release captive-reared eaglets into the wild," Ozier said. "Now, wild eagles are doing a much better job on their own, and on a broader scale."
Because the large raptors often eat fish, waterbirds and even turtles, most eagle nests in Georgia are found along the coast and near major rivers or reservoirs. Some nests are located near smaller bodies of water if food is abundant.

Bald eagles in Georgia usually nest atop tall pine or cypress trees, and typically use the same nest year after year. WRD biologists conduct aerial surveys each year to observe known nesting sites and to investigate potential new sites. The increase in documented nests this year includes some new nests, as well as the discovery of several previously unknown nests.

Biologists are also interested in receiving reports of possible nesting activity from the public, which occasionally leads to the discovery of new nests. Eagle pairs normally return to their territories by late summer or early fall and lay eggs by December.

The fall or winter presence of a pair of adult eagles near a body of water might indicate nesting activity.

Scientists believe the widespread use of the pesticide Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT) dealt a serious blow to the bald eagle population in the 1950s and 1960s, and no active nests could be found in Georgia during most of the 1970s. Since the banning of DDT in 1972 and the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, the species has slowly made a recovery in Georgia and throughout the country.

The majestic birds are listed as endangered under Georgia's Endangered Wildlife Act, and are federally listed as a threatened species. Georgia's bald eagle population has steadily increased during the past 25 years, climbing from one nesting pair to the current total. Based on the bird's continuing recovery, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is moving forward with a proposal to remove the bald eagle from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. If the bald eagle is delisted, it will continue to be protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

"The bald eagle is a great conservation success story in Georgia and across the nation," Ozier said. "With continued funding and support from public and private organizations, we hope to see similar examples with other species in the future."

Georgians can support conservation of bald eagles and other nongame wildlife by purchasing a license plate featuring a bald eagle or a hummingbird for their vehicle, or by donating to the "Give Wildlife a Chance" State Income Tax Checkoff. Sales of the wildlife license plates are the primary source of funding for the WRD Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section.

For more information about bald eagles and other protected wildlife in Georgia, visit [url]www.georgiawildlife.com[/url]. To report nesting activity of bald eagles, call the WRD Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Section at (478) 994-1438.
###



For more information, contact:
Ben Johnson, WRD Public Affairs: (770) 918-6787
Matt Elliott, WRD Natural Heritage Program Manager: (770) 918-6411

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PREDATORY BEETLES TO COMBAT SPREAD OF HEMLOCK PESTS
Georgia DNR, partners fund UGA beetle lab to control hemlock woolly adelgid

ATHENS, Ga. (April 17, 2006) - North Georgia's majestic hemlock trees are under attack from a tiny insect with a voracious appetite, and their best defense could prove to be a predatory beetle that feeds on the pests. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is helping to fund the development of a beetle lab at the University of Georgia as part of a long-term effort to stop the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid. Other partners in the project include the U.S. Forest Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Georgia Forest Watch, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Georgia Power Company and the Lumpkin Coalition.

The hemlock woolly adelgid is an aphid-like insect native to Asia that kills Eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock trees by attaching to the needles and consuming the sap. Insecticides are not effective at controlling the hemlock woolly adelgid on a large scale, but experiments in other states suggest that introducing certain species of predatory beetles can be an effective control measure.

"We are optimistic that the beetle lab is a step toward controlling the hemlock woolly adelgid in Georgia and protecting stands of hemlock trees," said Georgia DNR Commissioner Noel Holcomb. "We are committed to working to safeguard this important part of our natural resources."

The Georgia DNR will allocate $175,000 to help fund the start-up costs of a beetle-producing lab at UGA. Plans call for releasing beetles at 114 sites in Georgia, and some scientists believe three different species of beetles will be needed to successfully combat the adelgid. The UGA lab is expected to focus on two of these: Laricobius nigrinus, native to the Pacific Northwest, and Scymnus sinuanodulas, native to China. Both species have been approved for release by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Research has shown that the beetles feed only on adelgids, without causing serious impacts to native species.

The coniferous Eastern hemlock is found on about 250,000 acres of forestland in Georgia, and is the dominant tree species on about half of that area, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. Tallulah Gorge is the only known location of the closely related Carolina hemlock in Georgia. An estimated 20 to 30 percent of the eastern hemlock range in Georgia is believed to be infested, with the most severe damage occurring in the Chattooga River area. Scientists have predicted that, without significant action, 90 percent of Georgia's hemlocks could be dead by 2015.

Losing Georgia's hemlocks could have serious impacts on wildlife. The deep shade of hemlock forests helps keep stream temperatures cool enough to support trout, and hemlock dominated watersheds have been found to support more aquatic insect species than streams draining hardwood forests. Bird species heavily dependent on the hemlock include the black-throated green warbler, Blackburnian warbler, Swainson's warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, and red crossbill. The water shrew is a rare mammal common in hemlock forests, as are rare amphibians including the green salamander, hellbender, and shovelnose salamander.

State-owned wildlife management areas with prominent hemlock stands include Dawson Forest, Smithgall Woods and Pigeon Mountain. State parks in north Georgia that are at significant risk from the adelgids include Tallulah Gorge, Vogel, and Cloudland Canyon. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Forestry Commission are currently surveying all state-owned lands to detect the presence of the hemlock woolly adelgid. Both agencies are developing a plan that includes predator insect release at designated sites and insecticidal treatments to protect rare or significant groups of hemlock trees.