On Day Zinke Repeals Lead Ban, Bald Eagle Dies Of Lead Poisoning In Washington

SEATTLE, WA - On the same day that new Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke repealed an Obama-era ban on use of lead ammunition in national parks and wildlife refuges, a bald eagle in Washington state died of lead poisoning.

On his first day on the job as Interior Secretary on Thursday, Zinke, a former Montana Congressman and avid hunter, signed an order repealing an Obama ban on use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on certain federal lands. The ban wasn't in place long, however: Obama signed the directive on Jan. 20, his last day in office.

The bald eagle in Washington, meanwhile, died on Thursday after a week-long battle with severe lead poisoning at the Sarvey Wildlife Center in Arlington, Wash. There is no evidence that the eagle ingested lead ammunition or tackle specifically, Sarvey Executive Director Suzanne West told Patch.com.

Still, it is especially ironic that America's mascot died of lead poisoning on the same day the bureaucrat in charge of America's natural resources signed an order allowing more lead to enter that mascot's habitat.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, lead ammunition and fishing tackle can poison birds, fish, and mammals in a variety of ways. For eagles and other birds, the highest danger comes from eating prey that has ingested lead. Over time, lead can break down and contaminate water.

West said that the bald eagle was found in a backyard in Stanwood. West said the eagle's lead levels were "severe," and that was even after the eagle received medical treatment.

West said she more often sees lead poisoning among trumpeter swans. The swans ingest dirt and rocks as part of the digestive process and can end up eating lead shot. However, West said Sarvey, which rehabs all types of animals, rarely takes care of lead-poisoned eagles.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an estimated 7,000 tons of lead ammunition and tackle enter waterways across the U.S. each year. The group estimates that 20 million birds and mammals die each year from lead poisoning.

The federal government banned lead shot in 1991 for waterfowl hunting, but not other types of hunting. The reason for the ban, according to the USGS, was to protect bald eagles, specifically.

"In addition, of more than 2,000 bald eagles examined by the Fish and Wildlife Service from 1963 to 1986, 119 were diagnosed as having died of lead poisoning. Two recent publications based on (National Wildlife Health Center) diagnostic data describe lead poisoning in comparison to other causes of mortality in eagles and the demographic and pathologic characteristics of lead poisoning in eagles," the USGS wrote.

The last-minute Obama ban on lead ammo was criticized by gun rights groups and some Republicans.

Zinke's repeal of the ban "represents an important check on executive abuse and reverses what was a deliberate attack on Americans' fundamental rights and privileges," U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said in a statement.

Image via Sarvey Wildlife Center