The bald eagle pair in Harmar has drawn much-deserved attention from the public. Their highly visible location allows people to view and keep tabs on them.
But few people know of the bald eagle nest on Beaver Run Reservoir in Washington Township, where the birds have been for more than 10 years. The Beaver Run nest — in the same tree since 2007 — is active with the female currently incubating eggs. These birds are very isolated.
Unfortunately, this successful eagle pair is in potential conflict with a large Marcellus gas drilling pad. The Consol Energy site pad is currently approved for four wells. The Pennsylvania Game Commission granted Consol a 1,000-foot buffer from the nest; Consol said it will be 1,200 feet. Is that buffer sufficient to keep these birds on the nest site for years to come. Will the noise and air pollution prevent them from raising their young?
The Game Commission's bald eagle management plan states: “Bald eagles are traditionally intolerant of human activity,” and “Habitat loss and human disturbance seem to be major factors in the decrease of bald eagle populations.”
As the only listed bald eagle nest in Westmoreland County, these eagles deserve better. Their chosen site on Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County land has afforded them great protection, but the massive gas exploration on Beaver Run property may imperil this.
To view these birds, go to the Route 286 causeway over the lake and look southwest with a spotting scope or good binoculars. The nest is visible. Previously, revealing the site may not have been in the birds' best interest, but with the impending threat, I believe public interest is something they strongly need.
Jeffrey R. Pope
Washington Township
