On September 19th, a bald eagle was discovered dead in the Chenango Valley State Park in Chenango Forks. Further examination showed that the bird had been shot and killed within a day or two of being discovered.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who shot and killed the bald eagle in the Chenango Valley State Park.

If you have any information about the shooting, please reach out to either Special Agent Jason Bak with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Albany at (518) 431-4341 or the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Poaching Hotline at 1-800-TIPP-DEC (1-800-847-7332).

Bald eagles are no longer listed under the under the Endangered Species Act, but they're still federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Bald eagles are also protected as threatened by New York State.

Anyone found guilty of harming or killing a bald eagle faces fines of $15,000 and $100,000 respectively with possible imprisonment up to one year.

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