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Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos canadensis

Goal: Expand and then maintain a self-sustaining golden eagle population to ensure long term persistence (>100 years) on Conserved Lands in the MSPA by: improving reproductive success through protection of active and inactive nest sites from human disturbance; reducing anthropogenic mortality; managing large mosaics of grassland and open shrublands for optimal prey availability, especially during drought; and by minimizing human impacts to foraging eagles.

regional NFO 2021 SO
MGT-PRP-MGTPL AQUCHR-3

Management units: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11

In 2021, use the results and recommendations from the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study and the Golden Eagle Genetics Study to develop a comprehensive Golden Eagle Management Plan for managing golden eagle territories with nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat on Conserved Lands within the MSPA (see occurrence table). The plan should include recommendations for managing important foraging habitat to minimize human disturbance to foraging eagles and to improve habitat quality to enhance prey availability, especially during drought periods. The plan should also include specifications to control human disturbance that could discourage nesting, cause nest abandonment, or adversely affect the survival of nestlings, and for managing unstable nest ledges or tree nest sites that are critical to maintaining a breeding pair in territories with limited nesting sites.

Action Statement Action status Projects
PRP-1 Prepare a five year plan for maintaining and enhancing golden eagle foraging habitat in grasslands and suitable areas in open coastal sage scrub and chaparral, and for reducing human impacts to foraging eagles. Use the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study and modeling results to identify important foraging areas for golden eagles on Conserved Lands in the MSPA. Specify management to reduce human disturbance in important foraging habitat and to manage invasive annual grasses to promote abundant prey, such as California ground squirrels and black-tailed jackrabbit. Include a mechanism for updating the management plan with monitoring results and specific management recommendations from the Comprehensive Golden Eagle Monitoring Plan. waiting for precedent action
PRP-2 Prioritize for management, those nest ledges and trees that are in territories where alternative nest sites are limited. Prepare a nest restoration plan for each prioritized unstable nest ledge or vulnerable nest tree in consultation with a qualified golden eagle biologist. waiting for precedent action
PRP-3 Establish procedures for managing human activities within the nest site protective zone, including rerouting trails, closing trails during the breeding season, educational outreach, and enforcement. waiting for precedent action
PRP-4 Submit project metadata and Comprehensive Golden Eagle Management Plan to the MSP Web Portal. waiting for precedent action
Criteria Deadline year
Comprehensive Golden Eagle Management Plan Completed by 2022 2021
Threat Name Threat Code
Altered fire regimeALTFIR
Human uses of the PreservesHUMUSE
Invasive animalsINVANI
Invasive plantsINVPLA
Pesticides
Urban developmentURBDEV
Code Obj. code Statement
AQUCHR-1 MON-RES-SPEC From 2017 to 2019, continue the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study, begun in 2014, to monitor golden eagle territory occupancy and reproduction in the MSPA (see occurrence table) and to track eagle movements to identify important foraging, nesting and roosting areas. Continue to study the influence of human activity and land use on patterns of eagle movement and habitat use, measure the response of eagles to human activity while foraging, and determine whether locally produced floaters recruit into the breeding population.
AQUCHR-2 MON-RES-GEN From 2017 to 2019, continue the Golden Eagle Genetics Study begun in 2014 and collect genetic samples in conjunction with eagle captures for the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study. Analyze these samples to determine the population genetic structure of golden eagles within the MSPA (see occurrence table) and their relationship to eagle populations in other parts of the western United States.
AQUCHR-4 MON-PRP-MONPL In 2021, use the results and recommendations from the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study and the Golden Eagle Genetics Study to develop a comprehensive Golden Eagle Monitoring Plan for monitoring golden eagle status and assessing nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat on Conserved Lands within the MSPA (see occurrence table). The plan should include standardized monitoring protocols to track the status of eagles at nesting territories, to monitor use of important foraging areas, and to collect habitat and threats covariate data to inform needed management actions.
regional NFO 2021 SO
MON-PRP-MONPL AQUCHR-4

Management units: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11

In 2021, use the results and recommendations from the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study and the Golden Eagle Genetics Study to develop a comprehensive Golden Eagle Monitoring Plan for monitoring golden eagle status and assessing nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat on Conserved Lands within the MSPA (see occurrence table). The plan should include standardized monitoring protocols to track the status of eagles at nesting territories, to monitor use of important foraging areas, and to collect habitat and threats covariate data to inform needed management actions.

Action Statement Action status Projects
PRP-1 Complete a plan to monitor the status and habitat use of eagles over the long term within the MSPA that is based upon the occupancy monitoring study in the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging and Habitat Use Study. The plan should include detailed monitoring objectives, statistically valid sampling design, sampling locations, monitoring timeline, and standardized monitoring protocols to record eagles and important habitat and threat attributes. waiting for precedent action
PRP-2 Develop a plan to rapidly assess the condition of important golden eagle foraging habitat on Conserved Lands across the MSPA using a standardized protocol, statistically valid sampling design, and designated sampling locations. The protocol should describe monitoring methods to collect specific habitat and threat covariates associated with habitat quality, as identified by the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study. The results of this monitoring will be used to periodically prioritize sites and develop specific recommendations for managing foraging habitat to minimize human disturbance and enhance habitat quality to support abundant eagle prey. waiting for precedent action
PRP-3 A golden eagle expert should prepare a protocol, standardized data sheets, and provide periodic training to land managers in how to safely conduct annual nest inspections and determine management needs with minimal disturbance to eagles. The protocol should assess nest sites during the non-breeding season to identify nest ledges that are unstable and nest trees that are vulnerable to loss from threats such as wildfire, pests, and fungal pathogens. waiting for precedent action
PRP-4 Submit project metadata, sampling design, sampling locations, protocols and Comprehensive Golden Eagle Monitoring Plan to the MSP Web Portal. waiting for precedent action
Criteria Deadline year
Comprehensive Golden Eagle Monitoring Plan Completed by 2022 2021
Threat Name Threat Code
Altered fire regimeALTFIR
Human uses of the PreservesHUMUSE
Invasive animalsINVANI
Invasive plantsINVPLA
Urban developmentURBDEV
Code Obj. code Statement
AQUCHR-1 MON-RES-SPEC From 2017 to 2019, continue the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study, begun in 2014, to monitor golden eagle territory occupancy and reproduction in the MSPA (see occurrence table) and to track eagle movements to identify important foraging, nesting and roosting areas. Continue to study the influence of human activity and land use on patterns of eagle movement and habitat use, measure the response of eagles to human activity while foraging, and determine whether locally produced floaters recruit into the breeding population.
AQUCHR-2 MON-RES-GEN From 2017 to 2019, continue the Golden Eagle Genetics Study begun in 2014 and collect genetic samples in conjunction with eagle captures for the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study. Analyze these samples to determine the population genetic structure of golden eagles within the MSPA (see occurrence table) and their relationship to eagle populations in other parts of the western United States.
AQUCHR-3 MGT-PRP-MGTPL In 2021, use the results and recommendations from the Golden Eagle Nesting, Foraging, and Habitat Use Study and the Golden Eagle Genetics Study to develop a comprehensive Golden Eagle Management Plan for managing golden eagle territories with nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat on Conserved Lands within the MSPA (see occurrence table). The plan should include recommendations for managing important foraging habitat to minimize human disturbance to foraging eagles and to improve habitat quality to enhance prey availability, especially during drought periods. The plan should also include specifications to control human disturbance that could discourage nesting, cause nest abandonment, or adversely affect the survival of nestlings, and for managing unstable nest ledges or tree nest sites that are critical to maintaining a breeding pair in territories with limited nesting sites.