Feds seek public’s help after bald eagle nests destroyed on Kenai Peninsula

Three trees where bald eagles were nesting were cut down this spring on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday.

Now the agency is looking for help finding the culprit.

The trees were felled near the community of Anchor Point. They were the only trees cut down in the area, and all were within a half-mile area of one another, the agency said. The felled trees were discovered during an aerial survey.

Bald eagles are found only in North America. Alaska has the largest population of bald eagles in the U.S., according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, at around 30,000 birds.

"Bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, both federal wildlife statutes. Violations of these statutes carry maximum criminal penalties of up to $100,000 per person and up to one year federal imprisonment," according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Bald eagles in Southcentral Alaska nest near water, in old cottonwood trees, according to Fish and Game.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials declined to answer additional questions Friday.

The agency is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information about the incident. Anyone with information was asked to call U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's law enforcement office at 907-786-3992.