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Maryland Moves Against Poison That Caused Eagle Deaths

Andre Karwath
/
creative commons

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Two Maryland agencies are boosting outreach efforts to collect illegal pesticides after recent poisonings of bald eagles.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday they are working together to address the continued illegal use of carbofuran, a banned pesticide that has been implicated in recent poisonings in Kent and Talbot counties on the Eastern Shore. At least seven bald eagles and one horned owl have died.

It's the latest in a string of incidents that date back to February 2016. Thirteen bald eagles were poisoned at the time in Caroline County under similar circumstances.

Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder is urging anyone in possession of carbofuran to contact the department's pesticide regulation section to arrange for proper disposal.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.