The State - News from Aug. 8, 1989

A plan to bring 36 bald eagles to a protected Marin County parkland will be considered a success if even half the endangered birds survive, wildlife experts said. The plan is to bring the birds from nests in British Columbia forests and delicately introduce them to the fir forests and open grasslands on the spectacular Inverness Ridge, said Gary Fellers, research director for the project. Bird experts working at the Point Reyes National Seashore hope that the bald eagle, the national symbol listed as endangered in 43 states, including California, will thrive in the parkland despite the difficulties of forced adaptation to a new feeding ground. The Marin project, like a similar one south of Big Sur, will be located away from known nesting areas. The latest estimate from federal authorities is that 14,000 of the majestic birds live in the United States.