A yearlong evaluation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that the overwhelming majority of the more than 5,600 pursuits at 500 national wildlife refuges are compatible with refuge purposes.
No hunting programs were found to be incompatible, although hunting on a 48-acre NWR tract near Salinas, Calif., is under review to determine whether it impacts the endangered brown pelican.
Modifications are proposed for one fishing program, set tackle fishing at Tishomingo NWR in Oklahoma, to reduce the mortality risk for migratory birds.
Hunting is allowed at 272 refuges and fishing at 254.
The evaluation was part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought against the USFWS by several environmental groups. The suit challenged whether recreational, commercial or other uses allowed on refuges were compatible with the purposes for which each refuge was established.
"Overall, I am pleased to report to the American people that its National Wildlife Refuge System is well-managed and remains a natural jewel," said USFWS director Mollie Beattie.
Bald eagle incident
Natural Resources Police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are interested in information about an injured bald eagle that was found at Nanticoke River Wildlife Management Area on Thanksgiving Day.
The eagle had been shot with a shotgun some 24 to 36 hours before it was found, according to NRP and the USFWS.
The bird was operated on at the Baltimore Zoo, and will be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
There is a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons responsible for injuring a bald eagle. Call the USFWS at (410) 228-7991 or the NRP at (410) 548-7070.
Bismuth shot
Bismuth shot, a mixture of bismuth and tin, is not an approved, nontoxic shot for waterfowl or coot hunting in Maryland. The new alternative to steel shot, which has replaced lead shot over the past few years across the country, has not been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.