AEF Announces 2019 Grant Winners
In 2019, proposals were submitted to the AEF by various organizations and groups requesting funds for eagle conservation projects to be carried out in 2020.
The American Eagle Foundation is proud to announce the successful candidates for its 2020 Bald Eagle Grants. This is the eighth year the American Eagle Foundation has supported Bald Eagle research and conservation throughout the United States. Six applicants for grants were selected by the Bald Eagle Grant Advisory Team to receive $99,787 in funding for work to be carried out in 2020. To date, the American Eagle Foundation has sponsored grants in support of eagle conservation and research totaling almost $800,000. We appreciate the important work of these grantees and are honored to be able to contribute to the continued growth and success of the Bald Eagle population.
The American Eagle Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the United States’ living symbol of freedom, the American Bald Eagle, and other birds of prey. The AEF is celebrating its 33rd year of carrying out its mission through preservation, repopulation, education, and rehabilitation. It is headquartered in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains at Dollywood Family Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The following are recipients of the American Eagle Foundation 2020 Eagle Grants.
- Audubon Eagle Watch, Maitland, Florida. Monitor Eagle Nests for Disturbance and Productivity, Investigate Artificial Structure Use for Nesting, and Protect Habitat. $20,000
- Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ. New Jersey Nest Monitoring and Protection. $19,540.
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO. Colorado Bald Eagle Watch: Nest Monitoring and Daily Nest Survival Monitoring. $12,969.
- Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful. Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director. Fishing Line Receptacles with Public Outreach. (Note: link does not show funded work.) $7,330.
- Conservation Science Global, Inc., Drs. Vincent Slabe and Trish Miller. Quantifying Lead Abatement Strategies to Advance Mitigation Options for Bald Eagles in the Atlantic Flyway. $19,998.
- Conservation Science Global, Inc. and Winona State University, Drs. Trish Miller and Silas Bergen. Build Statistical Models describing Risk to Eagles from Wind Turbines. (NOTE: The link is from 2017, but gives the basis of the work that has been concluded and is being analyzed by Silas Bergen.) $19,950
The American Eagle Foundation obtained funding for this grant program in 2004, when both the U.S. Senate and House unanimously passed the “Bald Eagle Commemorative Coin Act.” Congress authorized the U.S. Mint to mint gold, silver and clad coins, which they sold to the public in 2008. The American Eagle Foundation continues to make those coins available to the public through its web site.
The American Eagle Foundation uses a Bald Eagle Grant Advisory Team to numerically rate all grant applications. This team consists of some of the most outstanding eagle authorities nationwide. Congratulations to all the successful applicants whose proposals were accepted for funding in 2020.