The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced this week a finalized plan for protecting bald eagles in New York.

A draft of the plan was released last year, and 120 comments from the public were considered. The final plan takes into account concerns raised by the public comments.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a press release that the state is home to the oldest wild bald eagle in the country, and the conservation plan calls for the state to work with land owners to help protect and maintain at least 200 breeding pairs.

“We recently confirmed that New York has been home to the longest living wild bald eagle on record in the United States,” Seggos said in a press release. “With bald eagles nesting within New York City on Staten Island, they now occur statewide. This confirms that New York’s rivers, lakes and forests are being maintained at a level capable of supporting our nation’s symbol. This plan will help guide the perpetuation of the bald eagle and ensure a healthy population in the state.”

The press release goes on to say that “the bald eagle, currently listed as a threatened species in New York, continues to make a remarkable recovery across the state. The conservation plan serves as a guide for landowners, resource managers, local government agencies and other stakeholders to manage and perpetuate the bald eagle and its habitat in New York.”

The DEC said that all human activity, both motorized and non-motorized, can have negative impacts on eagles. Disturbances can lead to predation of nests, abandonment of nests or can cause juvenile birds to leave the nest too early.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which was amended in 1972, calls for fines or prison for violators. A felony conviction can lead to a fine of $250,000 or two years in prison.

The DEC’s conservation plan will have the state work with landowners to reduce impacts on the eagles from human activities. It also calls for discouragement of intentional feeding and for necropsies to be performed on dead eagles.

To read the plan in full, visit www.dec.ny.gov/animals/74052.html.