This website steps you through the Bald Eagle Management Guidelines so that you can determine whether new or intermittent activities may disturb nesting bald eagles, and thus be in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The step-by-step guidance on this website is specific to bald eagles in Alaska and in conformance with the National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines (See sidebar). If the Guidelines do not answer your questions, call the appropriate Alaska office (pdf).

Even though bald eagles are no longer protected by the Endangered Species Act in the Lower 48, they continue to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) throughout the United States including Alaska. The Eagle Act prohibits anyone, without a permit, from “taking" bald eagles. Among other actions, "take" includes disturbance of bald eagles. 

"Disturb" is the form of take that is most likely to occur and is the most ambiguous. Therefore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepared the National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines to help landowners, land managers and others to meet the intent of the Eagle Act and avoid disturbing bald eagles. These Guidelines are voluntary.