Campers with July reservations at a popular campground along the shore of the Union Valley Reservoir in El Dorado National Forest might have to find new plans, as nesting bald eagles have forced a swath of campsites in the area to close for the month.
Sites 1-56 at Sunset-Union Valley Campground have been closed until July 31, according to an email sent out by Recreation.gov to those with reservations at the campground. The reason? Nesting bald eagles, which have been routinely spotted at the reservoir since 1986, the U.S. Forest Service’s El Dorado National Forest division said in a Facebook post.
The reservoir is a popular camping alternative to nearby Lake Tahoe, and campsite reservations often need to be made months in advance.
Two federal laws – the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act – prohibit any activity within 600 feet of bald eagle nests until the fledglings are ready to fly. The laws also prohibit people from taking, possessing, transporting, or disturbing bald eagles, according to the Forest Service.
“The eagle nestlings are at a very sensitive period in their life, at around 8-10 weeks old. Nesting areas should be avoided to not disturb the young eagles. This allows the nestlings more space until they fledge (leave the nest),” the Forest Service wrote in the Facebook post.
Protection efforts like these campground closures have aided in a robust recovery of the species’ population over the past several decades, and the birds have even been completely de-listed from the Endangered Species Act, according to the Forest Service. The eagles are still listed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as being endangered in California.
Eagle pairs mate for life and usually raise one to two eaglets, according to the Forest Service. It usually takes eaglets about twelve weeks before they leave the nest.