MAINE PUBLIC • December 1, 2022
Federal agencies are proposing to phase out lead ammunition used by hunters at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells. Maine Audubon's Nick Lund said many birds, including endangered species such as bald eagles, die of lead poisoning. A recent study of more than 1,200 eagles found that nearly half had been repeatedly exposed to lead. The changes follow a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity last year challenging rules enacted by the Trump Administration that expanded hunting and fishing on refuge lands. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge spans across about 50 miles of the coast in Cumberland and York counties.