From the National Park Service:

Bald eagles continue to expand on the California Channel Islands with the discovery of a nesting pair on San Clemente Island for the first time in over 50 years.

This discovery means that bald eagles have reestablished territories now on five of the eight Channel Islands following their disappearance from the islands in the early 1960s due primarily to DDT contaminants in the food chain.

Dr. Peter Sharpe with the Institute for Wildlife Studies who has spent 18 years dedicated to bald eagle recovery efforts said, “This news is very gratifying. I expect to see bald eagles return to all eight of the Channel Islands within a few years which will mark yet another milestone in their successful recovery.”

“This is good news for the continued recovery of the ecosystem of the Channel Islands and the Navy’s ongoing interest in protecting the environment,” said Captain Christopher E. Sund, Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado, which balances responsibility for operations and training with wildlife management on San Clemente Island.”It is also emblematic of the Navy’s good stewardship over many years at San Clemente Island,” he said.

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