Eagle and other raptor populations are under threat from rapidly expanding energy infrastructure (e.g., electric utilities, wind and solar energy facilities), and the U.S. Fish and wildlife service…

Eagle and other raptor populations are under threat from rapidly expanding energy infrastructure (e.g., electric utilities, wind and solar energy facilities), and the U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) plays a key role in insuring the viability of these populations through strategic management actions. The bald and golden eagle protection act allows for the issuance of permits to take bald and golden eagles under certain circumstances provided the take is compatible with the preservation of the eagle which is defined to mean consistent with maintaining stable regional breeding populations and not causing extirpation of local populations. The USFWS has scientifically-evaluated sustainable take rates for bald and golden eagles, established regional eagle management units (EMU) with population objectives, conducted surveys to estimate population sizes, and set annual take limits for each species of eagle in each EMU. The USFWS uses a collision risk model to predict eagle take at proposed wind energy facilities and has adopted a formal adaptive management process for updating initial take estimates based on eagle mortality monitoring data collected when the wind facilities are operational. This work seeks to take advantage of expertise at new mexico state university (nmsu) to expand the scope and refine existing modeling frameworks to improve the ability of the USFWS to conserve and manage eagles and other raptor species. IT will also provide direct technical support to risk assessments for eagle incidental take permitting assisting the USFWS to ensure consistency with statutory requirements and prompt service to permittees. This agreement will fund a full-time post-doctoral research scientist, a full-time senior research scientist, and a half-time senior research scientist in the department of fish, wildlife and conservation ecology at nmsu. They will collaborate with scientists at nmsu and the USFWS to support eagle and raptor permit programs, expand on existing modeling frameworks for estimating raptor population status and trends, and contribute to decision support tools for assisting in managing and conserving raptor populations. This work will continue through the end of september 2026, and will provide expertise to i) help improve the technical components of the USFWS raptor management program, II) estimate raptor population status, trends, and take limits, III) adapt existing decision support tools to include environmental impacts on raptor take limits, and IV) maintain a long-term demographic study that provides critical data for parameterizing models with environmental variables.