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Friday, February 02, 2007

Al Cecere, founder and president of the American Eagle Foundation, responds to the American Bald Eagle losing Endangered Species Act protection and related future funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Al Cecere, Founder/President
American Eagle Foundation
P.O. Box 333, Pigeon Forge, TN 37868
865-429-0157or 865-256-0372
http://www.eagles.org
savetheeagle@aol.com

Al Cecere, Founder & President of the American Eagle Foundation - Response to the American Bald Eagle Losing Endangered Species Act Protection and Related Future Funding.

Pigeon Forge, TN – February 1, 2007 -- With the bald eagle set to lose its Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection and related federal funding in mid-February, the American Eagle Foundation wants to inform concerned citizens and conservationists that their national symbol still needs help.

Al Cecere, founder and president of the American Eagle Foundation, is making himself available for interviews and appearances from Feb. 1-16 in anticipation of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s upcoming "delisting" of the bald eagle. The Tennessee-based conservation group led by Cecere has a clearly defined vision to continue safeguarding America’s national bird for future generations, which includes creating an “American Eagle Fund” to care for this national treasure forever.

Cecere is confident the bald eagle still faces daunting post-delisting challenges - from loss of crucial nesting and foraging habitat to the threat of various contaminants, viruses and diseases. "The bald eagle will soon come off the ESA's threatened species list, but that doesn't mean it has fully recovered and won't continue an up-hill fight for survival,” Cecere explains. “In an era of government budget cutting, it will cost millions of dollars to monitor and protect eagle nests and adjacent ecosystems on private lands nationally for the remainder of this decade and beyond."

Cecere, who has championed the eagle cause for 23 years, points out that the Bald & Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 will provide some protection for eagles after the delisting. But, he says, neither law has strict provisions for buffering and securing nesting habitat located on private property, like the ESA presently does. Cecere adds, "Recovering this special species is only half the battle. Now, we must fully secure its future livelihood. The majestic bald eagle is a precious national treasure that has symbolized our country's democratic ideals and freedoms for over 230 years. As a lasting legacy for America, we must keep it flying strong and free for generations to come."

The following sample questions and answers from Al Cecere, founder and president of the American Eagle Foundation, can be used in publications and on the Web without restrictions.

Q: What led you to create the American Eagle Foundation?

“In the early 80’s, I got my calling to get involved with helping eagles. At that time, I was living in Nashville and working in the entertainment business. I saw an Associated Press photograph in the Tennessean Newspaper in 1983 that depicted two dozen eagle carcasses laying side-by-side. They had been shot by poachers in the Dakotas. That photo had a powerful impact on me. It hit me in the gut and heart pretty hard. I asked myself “Why are people shooting these beautiful birds?” I thought there were wildlife agencies out there taking care of all these special animals.”

Q: So, what did you do? How did you respond to that experience?

“I got on the phone right away and called the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. I asked to speak to the person in Tennessee that knew the most about eagles. And they put me right through to a man named Bob Hatcher…the non-game coordinator for the state. In that first conversation, Bob told me bald eagles were an endangered species, and there was very little money available for state and federal agencies to keep their eagle programs going. He said Tennessee was struggling to keep its own eagle recovery efforts going and could use more funding. They had already been releasing young eagles into the wild for a couple years to help repopulate the state, which only had few resident nesting pairs then. Sometime in 1984, I realized there wasn’t a national non-governmental organization set-up to specifically protect the national bird. So, the good Lord gave me a clear vision to start one and to immediately begin running it from my kitchen table.”

Q: What is the purpose of the American Eagle Foundation?

“The American Eagle Foundation was established as a citizen’s effort to restore and protect our national bird and its habitat. Of course, when we first began, the eagle was on the brink of extinction in the lower 48 states. It was an endangered species. So, our whole effort has largely been to educate the public about eagles and our environment and to encourage everyone to conserve the natural wonders God has created and entrusted to our care. When I travel coast to coast with Challenger, our trained eagle ambassador that can no longer survive in the wild, we reach people from all walks of life…young and old, rich and poor, and all colors. And they’re all touched in a special way by the awesome beauty and intensity of the eagle when they get an up-close look at it. Whether they know it or not, they’re actually seeing a glimpse of the Creator’s own handiwork and majesty. We want them to realize we’re here on Earth to be good stewards and to care for the gifts God has given us, not neglect its importance and trash it for selfish reasons”

To schedule an interview with Al Cecere and/or a TV appearance with Al and the bald eagle Challenger, contact the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) at 865-429-0157, 865-256-0372or savetheeagle@aol.com.

To learn more about the AEF, write to PO Box 333, Pigeon Forge, TN 37868, or visit their website, www.eagles.org.

To obtain an abundance of info about bald eagles and their proposed delisting from ESA protection, visit the AEF’s private “Media Eagle Info” webpage. Go to:

http://www.eagles.org/MediaEagleInformation/media_eagle_information_login.php

Password (will work if either typed in all caps or lower case): MediaEagleInfo

###

About The AEF: The American Eagle Foundation (AEF) is a not-for-profit charitable organization established in 1985, dedicated to the care, recovery and protection of the bald eagle and its habitat. Headquartered at the Dollywood entertainment theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the Federal and State licensed AEF conducts both environmental and eagle-focused education and recovery programs. It operates the world's largest bald eagle exhibit and breeding facility. Since the mid 1990s, the AEF has appeared with its trained, free-flying bald eagle "Challenger" from coast-to-coast, including the White House and various sporting events such as the World Series, Olympics and NFL Pro-Bowl. The conservation group has appeared with non-releasable eagles and other birds of prey on national TV shows including Good Morning America, Larry King Live, David Letterman, NBC Today, Regis & Kelly, Fox & Friends, CBS This Morning, CNN, Dateline NBC, Jeff Corwin Experience, Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures and Animal Planet. The AEF has also received a wide range of positive national press, from publications such as Audubon Magazine, USA Today, New York Times and Washington Post.

Posted By: Dan Stockdale @ 9:59:20 PM

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Friday, December 22, 2006

Tiger Attacks Trainer at San Francisco Zoo

For Immediate Release                    For More Information Contact: 12.22.06 – 11:07pm                             Dan Stockdale (865) 300-3232

Tiger Attacks Trainer at San Francisco Zoo

 (Knoxville, Tennessee)  A tiger has attacked it’s trainer at the San Francisco Zoo.  Although the trainers injuries are reportedly limb-threatening, they are not life-threatening.  Siberian tigers are a highly endangered species.  The trainer was purportedly operating in protected contact.

 “Tigers are wild, unpredictable animals and feeding time is one of the most dangerous times for a handler.  Big cats are extremely possessive of their food”, said Dan Stockdale, Author of the upcoming book, “Taming Tigers” and Founder of Adventures in Leadership, Inc.  “I am grateful that the trainer is apparently going to survive this attack.  It drives home the importance of implementation of sufficient safety protocols when in dealing with large predators.”

 Siberian tigers are one of fiver remaining subspecies of tigers.  There are reportedly only 300-500 remaining in the wild.  They are the largest of the big cats weighing in as much as 700 pounds and up to 12 feet in length.  They primarily eat wild boar and deer but also eat fish and small mammals.

Posted By: Dan Stockdale @ 11:40:45 PM

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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Sea World Trainer Attacked By Shamu Killer Whale

For Immediate Release                    For More Information Contact: 11.30.06 – 2:01pm                               Dan Stockdale (865) 300-3232

Sea World Trainer Attacked By Killer Whale

(Knoxville, Tennessee)  A Sea World trainer, Ken Peters, has survived a serious mishap with one of the parks killer whales, Kasatka.   His survival of this incident is a testament to the training protocols, animal-trainer relationships and safety measures that are in place at Sea World.

“I recently attended the show in which, Ken Peters, the trainer at Shamu Stadium in San Diego was injured.  Sea World is an extraordinary organization that applies the highest standards of safety possible”, said Dan Stockdale of Adventures in Leadership.  “Sea World’s operational protocols and safety protocols are a model to scores of animal care facilities worldwide.  Working with exotic animals of any kind, be they marine mammals or land dwelling mammals, is a serious, and sometimes deadly business.  Thankfully, it appears that a disaster has been averted in this instance.”

Orca’s are the largest member of the dolphin family.  They live in small, close-knit, life-long pods.  Orcas diet consists of seals, fish, squid, sea turtle and even sharks.  They use echolocation as a way of finding objects in the water and they propel themselves through the water by moving their fluke in a vertical plane.

Posted By: Dan Stockdale @ 2:34:50 PM

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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Bindi Irwin Commended for Continuing Steve Irwin Legacy

For Immediate Release                    For More Information Contact: 10.17.06 – 2:49pm                               Dan Stockdale (865) 300-3232

 Bindi Irwin Commended for Continuing Steve Irwin Legacy

 (Knoxville, Tennessee)  Bindi Irwin has once again shown the world that she is tough, competent and fully capable of carrying her father’s message of conservation to future generations.

 “I know that any father, especially Steve, would be proud of his family for their steadfast devotion to continuing the mission of conservation that was his life’s passion”, said Dan Stockdale of Adventures in Leadership.  “Bindi has already shown the world that she is a worthy spokesperson, capable of communicating her enthusiasm to millions.  Bindi is certain to be an enthusiastic advocate for animals and our environment for decades to come.”

 Throughout his career, Steve has contributed vast volumes to the public’s appreciation for the animals who share this great planet with us.  He was always energetically poised to show the natural, instinctive behavior of a plethora of species.  “Steve’s disastrous situation is a stark reminder of the omnipresent danger to all of us who work with animals in the wild and in controlled environments”, said Stockdale.  “He will always be remembered as one of the best in the world.”

Posted By: Dan Stockdale @ 2:50:03 PM

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Monday, September 04, 2006

Condolences to Steve Irwin Family from Animal Colleague

For Immediate Release                    For More Information Contact: 09.04.06 – 10:32am                             Dan Stockdale (865) 300-3232

  Condolences to Steve Irwin Family from Animal Colleague

(Knoxville, Tennessee)  It is with deep regret that I learned this morning of the passing of the famed ‘Crocodile Hunter’, Steve Irwin.  Irwin’s contributions to the animal world are legendary. 

 “I offer my sincere condolences to Terri and the family during this tragedy.  Steve will be sorely missed in the professional community”, said Dan Stockdale of Adventures in Leadership.  “Steve Irwin’s enthusiastic focus on conservation and education has had a positive impact on the millions of us who were fans and who admired him and his approach to animals and education.”

 Throughout his career, Steve has contributed vast volumes to the public’s appreciation for the animals who share this great planet with us.  He was always energetically poised to show the natural, instinctive behavior of a plethora of species.  “Steve’s disastrous situation is a stark reminder of the omnipresent danger to all of us who work with animals in the wild and in controlled environments”, said Stockdale.  “He will always be remembered as one of the best in the world.”

 

Posted By: Dan Stockdale @ 10:35:03 AM

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