Its name defines its purpose, but masks its present plight. Recurring wildfires and military training exercises in the National Conservation Area (NCA) have dramatically altered the prey base for the raptor population that the NCA was established to protect. As a result, the raptor population is at risk.
The Congress established the area in 1993 to protect the North America's, possible the world's, largest concentration of birds of prey. They include bald and golden eagles, several species of owls, peregrine falcons, merlin and others. Some are year-round residents, others use the conservation area seasonally as nesting and hunting grounds. The NCA covers 485,000 acres along 81 miles of the river canyon.
A Bureau of Land Management study documents that nesting prairie falcons have declined from a historical 230 pairs to an estimated 110 pairs today.
The Wilderness Society is involved in the preparation of a new management plan for the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.
Snake River Facts
- Location: 35 miles south of Boise, Idaho along 81 miles of the Snake River
- Size: 601,053 acres
- Date: Congress designated the area an NCA on August 4, 1993
- Managing Agency: The Bureau of Land Management
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