LEHI, Utah (KUTV) — A row of trees, known for bald eagle sightings, was recently cut down, leaving Lehi residents questioning why it happened and whether the city followed proper procedures.
The land is next to Dry Creek Elementary and is set to become the Mellor Rhodes Sports Park, complete with a new baseball complex.
As part of that project, the city took down a line of trees, and Lehi residents said they’ve seen bald eagles nesting there and believe, as a result, the trees should have been protected.
“I saw it and my heart just broke,” said Jeanne-Marie Burrows, who volunteers — and used to work — at Dry Creek Elementary School. “Now, dropping off my daughter is a little sad every morning.”
She said she had to come out and see that the trees had been taken down with her own eyes to believe it when she heard.
“I understand that development happens. All around us is development. I’m excited about that park. I’ve been excited for years about having a sports park close by our school. That’s a perfect fit for us. But we just always assumed: trees are in parks,” Burrows said.
“We see in Lehi there’s high-density housing put up all over the place, and this is like the one area we thought, ‘Hey, we don’t have to worry about it.’ And these bald eagles can come every year, and all of us can enjoy it, watching them and seeing them and seeing how majestic they are,” said Kenneth Glade, a resident of Lehi.
He wants to know why the trees had to be knocked down. He can’t imagine the eagles coming back to the same place.
“I can tell you that 90% of their habitat here is no longer there, so you know, six to eight birds that we would see pretty regularly for several months a year,” he said.
According to federal law, eagles’ nests are protected even when not in use and require a permit to be removed.
“I’ve had kids come home so excited they saw a bald eagle that day,” Burrows said. “As parents, we sit here in a line waiting for our kids, and we watch those eagles. I’ve had parent after parent sending me videos, like, ‘This is what I took last winter,’ or, ‘Here’s a picture that made me so happy.'”
Burrows said she had noticed eagles nesting in those trees, so she took pictures.
A row of trees, known for bald eagle sightings, was recently cut down, leaving Lehi residents questioning why it happened and whether the city followed proper procedures. (Photo: Karli Grieder){p}{/p}
“I have pictures in the wintertime when there are no leaves, and you can definitely see exactly where the nest was,” she said.
The city of Lehi responded to questions about whether they were aware of eagles’ nests in the trees, whether the trees were inspected before removal, and whether there is documentation to prove those inspections took place.
Lehi statement:
“Our contractor, Diamond Tree Experts, began removing trees last Wednesday as part of the Mellor Rhodes Sports Park project, which will include a new baseball complex.
The contractor confirmed there were no nests present in the affected trees. Out of an abundance of caution and in response to resident concerns, Diamond Tree Experts is also coordinating with Bio-West, an environmental consulting firm, to inspect the remaining trees and ensure that all federal wildlife protection guidelines are being closely followed.
The timing of the work was carefully selected to minimize environmental impact. According to the contractor, this season poses the least risk to nesting or migrating birds. Diamond Tree Experts follows a thorough process during tree removal, which includes inspecting the trees and having crew members on site to observe for birds or other wildlife.
Lehi City and its contractors are committed to completing the project responsibly and with care for the environment and local wildlife.”
— Jeanteil Livingston, communications manager, City of Lehi
“A contractor just walked around and says that, or what was the process? How did the contractor actually look into this?” Burrows asked. “But to me, of course they’re not going to say that they found a nest, and how would they even find a nest? Those trees are huge and have been here forever.”
Bald eagles and their nests are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Both acts were enacted in the early 1900s.
“A violation of the act can result in a fine of $100,000 ($200,000 for organizations), imprisonment for one year, or both, for a first offense. Penalties increase substantially for additional offenses, and a second violation of this act is a felony,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
“It seems like something as special as this with known bald eagle habitat we should be able to protect and be able to plan for, plan around,” Glade said.
“If things weren’t done legally to cut them down, we would love justice for our eagles,” Burrows said. “If they were done properly… okay. We will just mourn our eagles in our hearts. But we would love justice for the eagles if we can.”