PG&E Agrees to Hold Off Cutting Tree Hosting Eagles’ Nest in Mendocino County

Stock photo of a bald eagle’s next by local wildlife photographer, Ann Constantino. See more of her work here.

A tree containing a bald eagle’s nest that gained regional support over the past few days has gotten a reprieve for the duration of the breeding season.

A Ponderosa pine on a narrow road alongside the Eel River in Potter Valley has been home to a successful pair of bald eagles at least since 2011, according to Tim Bray, of the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society. Neighbors report they’ve been watching hatchlings fledge there for 25 years. But the tree, which is in decline, is just a few feet from a PG&E distribution line. On Monday, the landowners and tenants learned that the company had gotten an emergency permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove it. Breeding season begins on January 15, so if the tree was not removed by then, it would have to remain standing until the end of the season in late summer.

A tree-cutting crew was rebuffed on Thursday morning, when an adult bald eagle flew out of the nest in full view of a PG&E biologist and members of the local Audubon Society. 

The next morning, neighbors prepared for another attempt. The early morning fog hadn’t lifted yet when they began to arrive with provisions, signs, folding chairs, and the clear intent to block the gate in front of the tree for the rest of the day.

Neighbors and residents gather under the tree holding the nest. [Photo by Sarah Reith]

Still, between 12 and 15 neighbors joined the half-dozen residents of the property to keep the eagle tree standing. Around 9:00 am, an arriving supporter reported that she had seen a tree crew at the bridge over the river, about a mile down the road. A few minutes later, a garbage truck trundled around the bend, sounding very much like a piece of heavy machinery. Supporters grabbed their signs and took a position in front of the gate.

But the crew never arrived. An “outreach team” consisting of PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras, a company arborist, and a biologist addressed the group, who demanded to know how they could be sure there were no eggs in the nest, and why the owners had gotten so little notice that the tree was a hazard that had to come down. U.S. Fish and Wildlife received the request for a permit on January 5, and the resident, Joseph Seidell, only saw correspondence confirming the permit when the crew arrived on Thursday morning. The biologist explained that if the birds were incubating an egg, there would be an eagle on the nest all the time, and the other would be bringing food on a regular basis.

Neighbors listening to PG&E reps. [Photo by Sarah Reith]

But residents were unmoved. “I have an attorney who says that the facts are that PG&E can be sued heavily for turning power off after leaving it this late to do anything about this tree,” said longtime resident Joseph West. “And we have an arborist who says it’s not an immediate threat anyway. An independent arborist. Not one of the tame PG&E ones.”  

His brother Paul West added that he believes, “This is just their standard threat to have their way and get their tree service in here to cut the tree and to intimidate the residents.” He has a generator he could use for power, which is inconvenient, but in his opinion, “It’s a small sacrifice to pay for something you believe is going against someone else losing their home.”  

Seidell, who also has generators, was similarly unfazed. He did not hesitate to declare that, “We will definitely be okay with that.”

The morning evolved uneventfully into early afternoon. Supporters snacked and children climbed on rocks. At about 12:30, Contreras and the arborist were granted access to the tree, under the watchful eyes of the neighbors. While the independent arborist Seidell hired wrote that the tree “appears to be a candidate for alternative risk mitigation without the removal of the tree,” the PG&E arborist maintained that the only mitigation was removal. 

Still, shortly before 1:00 pm, Contreras announced the final determination per the agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “We’re not cutting down the tree today…we will not be able to cut down the tree during nesting season.” She confirmed that PG&E would not seek another permit to take down the tree until after the season, which ends in August. Senator Mike McGuire weighed in on the resolution, too. That evening, his office issued a statement: “We appreciate all sides coming together to resolve this situation. Rightfully so, there was a lot of concern among Potter Valley neighbors and community members. I’m glad the eagles can now start the nesting season in peace.”

Seidell still wants the tree to be available for many seasons to come. “Let it live and die with nature, not by human hands,” he said. “And I believe that this is the first step toward achieving this goal.” He easily collected enough money from the crowd to pay an electrical contractor to assess the possibility of burying the few hundred feet of line running past the tree. While Contreras did not commit one way or the other on the viability of the plan, he is considering starting a fundraiser for that project, as well as a more in-depth study of the tree. “Now we have the time to do that, and I’m really happy,” he concluded.

Earlier: Tree Holding Bald Eagle’s Nest in Potter Valley Gets Stay of Execution After Bird of Prey Comes Home