The Clarion
Brevard College
April 1, 2004
Environmental News::
Peregrine Falcons in the Pisgah:
No Longer Endangered, but still Sensitive
Chris Faulkner
Every year on January 15* Steve Longnecker, a local >“8" ,
Zl of Jolong Glass Rock. In b.g S J” ThX s.gns are sponsored
“Area behind This Sign Closed Temporarily o r Unci Wildlife Resources Commission.
and enforced by the US Forest Service and the NorA . f ^he most visited rock climbing areas
Lookmg Glass Rock, which .s near Brevard ^r°to is „
m Southeast The north face of Lookmg Glass which is horne to som
the country, is also home to the once endangere eregrin species in the United States to be protecte
Peregrine falcons {fako peregrines anatum) were one o ^ successful recovery, Pereses
by the National Endangered Species Act, whic was pass p i Species List on August 25,19 .
were removed or deUsted from the Federal Threatene g climbers in North Carolma, the
Some people wonder what the big deal is about ^ The posted areas of Looking
birds create closures amidst some of the ^'“““^Sville Gorge), Shortoff Mountam, and the Big l^st
Glass Rock, Whitesides Mountain, the North ato ^ a fhese areas make up a majority o e mos
Cove Cliffs are
closed from January 15 to August 15 e ryy u u -Mr
desired climbing areas in North Carolina. Forest Service’s biologists, along wit t
The reason that these closures are still necessary is Peregrines recovery is not yet strong enoug °
WildUfe Resources Commission’s biologists, beheve still Usted as sensiuve on the regional
warrant delisting of the bird in North Caroling xiotinnal Forest Sensitive List.
forester’s sensitive Ust and the Nantahala and Pisga Peregrine closure is seen climbing i
It seems that every season someone w o Peregrines?” ■ i j rrive of
areas. You may ask yourself, “What impact does this ha terntonal _
Not only are these very nervous bWs, then instmcts can ca have been estabbshed as
their pr4eny. The, lay their eggs on fUt surfaces below rock
“eyrie” (nestmg place). immawre Peregrines, bird can
Seeing or even hearing climbers can mean , . , made known as a “scrape.
a flat surface with a shallow depression that e ir , u where it
easily dislodge an egg accidentally. vouns Peregrine can be frightene to ^ ^ P i i
After the eg^s have hatched is another cnucal either die from the fall, be unable to kill
flight panic or attempt to escape from the eyne. *rr>nhle for
..s own food, ot be uLble to defend itself on the ground Enforcements wdl “ J “
If an;one is caught disobeying the fines and will serve as an example m order
•hem. Typically a violator wUl have to pay thousands of dollars
discourage others from disobeying the closures.
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