May 21, 2004

On May 20,the attorney of Log Creek Properties, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Indianapolis, Indiana, entered a plea of guilty on behalf of the corporation in U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, for a violation of the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Log Creek Properties, LLC paid a $15,000 criminal penalty and $125 special assessment to the Court for illegally distributing the highly toxic pesticide, Carbofuran, resulting in the deaths of an adult bald eagle and other wildlife.

On January 30, 2004, special agents from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources conservation officers executed a federal search warrant on the 2,500 acre Log Creek Ranch private hunting club, a subsidiary of Log Creek Properties, LLC, in Drakesboro, Kentucky. In addition to the bald eagle, forty-one black vultures and one coyote were found dead. Also found during the search, was a plastic container of liquid Furadan, located in the garage basement of the club’s hunting lodge, and equipment used to inject the chemical into food sources, such as an animal carcass.

The National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Ashland, Oregon, concluded that the deaths of the federally protected birds were caused by ingesting Furadan, which special agents determined had been purposely placed on a food source to attract and destroy unwanted wildlife on the private hunting club.

"This case is an unfortunate example of why toxic pesticides are very restricted in their use and method of application,” said Steve Middleton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resident Agent in Charge, Law Enforcement, Nashville, Tennessee. “Those who attempt to control predators must realize that the consequences of illegal poisoning may, and likely will, result in the deaths of unintended targets such as eagles and vultures, and even pets. Furadan will kill anyone or anything that ingests it."

Carbofuran is sold under the brand name of Furadan. Furadan is a restricted use agricultural pesticide developed to control insects and nematodes in farm crops. Unfortunately, Furadan and other highly toxic pesticides such as Temik are often misused and applied to meat baits or injected into chicken eggs in misguided and illegal attempts to kill coyotes and other predators. The use of Furadan in a manner inconsistent with its labeling, and the killing of a bald eagle is also a violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered Species Act, and laws controlling the use of pesticides enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency.