ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Whether it is illegal to feed eagles, a nationally protected species, has always been a bit of a gray area under federal law, but the Anchorage Assembly is looking to make it clear.
A proposed ordinance up for public testimony Tuesday night would make it illegal to feed most wildlife in the municipality including birds of prey.
The ordinance says Anchorage Parks and Recreation has received reports of bald eagles being fed in numerous locations in Anchorage, which in turn has drawn dozens of eagles and ravens to the area. It says human feeding of birds of prey and other wildlife can have negative consequences, including spreading wildlife diseases and increasing the odds of conflict between wildlife, humans and their pets.
Those are arguments that Tom Lakosh has heard before. Lakosh has been regularly feeding eagles throughout the winter in the Muldoon neighborhood. He believes providing the birds a healthy meal of meat or fish is preferable to having them eat garbage at the city dump.
“I’m trying to give them an alternative to the Hiland Landfill where they have disrupted the pattern of eagle feeding and nesting more than any other facility in any other municipality of the United States,” Lakosh said, adding the city needs to do a better job of protecting the birds at the facility.
Under the proposed ordinance, people who intentionally feed birds of prey and other wildlife could receive a $250 fine for a first offense and a $500 fine for second and subsequent offenses. Negligent feeding, which could include leaving attractants for bears and other wildlife could draw a $100 fine for a first offense, a $300 fine for a second offense and a $500 fine for subsequent offenses.
When asked about concerns over dozens of eagles gathering close to a dog park in Muldoon, Lakosh replied:
“I’ve had people with small dogs who were concerned, but this is Alaska. You don’t bring a Chihuahua, the national dog from Mexico, and displace Alaskan eagles. I mean that’s kind of ridiculous.”
Despite concerns, Lakosh said he does support parts of the ordinance and recently pledged to Fish and Game that he would stop feeding eagles. He said the last time he did so was at the end of March, about the same time people in the area said the majority of bald eagles had disappeared from Muldoon.
Lakosh said he’s glad to see them go because it means they are nesting in the woods, where they should be in the summer.
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