By Matthew Brown And Camille Fassett THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROLLING HILLS, Wyo. (AP)- Criminal cases brought by U.S. wildlife officials for killing or injuring protected eagles dropped sharply in recent years, even as officials ramped up issuing permits that will allow wind energy companies to kill thousands of eagles without legal consequence. The falloff in enforcement of eagle protection laws accelerated in the Trump administration and has continued under President Joe Biden, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data obtained by The Associated Press. It comes amid growing concern that a proliferation of wind turbines to feed the demand for renewable energy is jeopardizing golden eagle populations. Dozens of permits approved or pending would allow roughly 6,000 eagles to be killed in coming decades, government documents show. More than half…
Register
