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Cleveland National Forest Backcountry May Be Restricted

How far should we go to protect golden eagles and prairie falcons? On Monday’s Full Focus, we’ll talk about plans to close parts of the Cleveland National Forest to protects raptors.

If you are a hiker or climber, you are probably familiar with Eagle Peak and Rock Mountain near Ramona, and Corte Madera Mountain east of Alpine - all favorites of back country recreationists. Apparently, they are also favorite nesting spots for two species of birds whose numbers are in decline. There are about 53 pairs of the golden eagle left and around 25 pairs of the prairie falcon. Now the U.S. Forest Service wants to protect those cliffside nesting spaces by closing the areas to the public from December until May. Should people be banned from parts of Cleveland National Forest during nesting season? Tonight we'll explore both sides of the issue.

Guests

  • Jeff Brown , a climber and an access advocate
  • Dave Bittner, Executive Director of Wildlife Research Institute