To the great disappointment of Audubon, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service earlier this month finalized a 30-year permit that will allow private and public developers in the United States, including energy companies, construction projects, and homeowners, to apply for 30-year “incidental-take permits.” These licenses absolve them of a predetermined amount of Bald Eagle deaths every year, and exempt them from being prosecuted under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. This amounts to a six-fold increase from the existing permit duration. Species such as the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle are normally protected by federal laws, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.