“The bald eagle is a symbol of American strength and resilience,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “The eagle’s comeback in Ohio and across the country proves that we can overcome any challenge when we work together.”
Ohio tracking sightings of bald eagle nests
The Division of Wildlife received about 2,500 reports from the public. Wildlife staff, including wildlife officers and biologists verified nests in 85 counties. Counties near Lake Erie had particularly high counts of nests. The top 12 counties were Ottawa (90), Sandusky (50), Erie (32), Trumbull (26), Seneca (24), Wyandot (19), Lucas (18), Licking (17), Ashtabula (16), Knox (16), Mercer (16) and Wood (16).
The bald eagle, once endangered, had only four nesting pairs in 1979. However, thanks to partnerships between the Division of Wildlife, Ohio zoos, wildlife rehabilitation facilities, concerned landowners, and sportsmen and women its population increased. After much hard work and continued conservation, the bald eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007 and from Ohio’s list in 2012.
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