US Forest Service closes cliffs to protect peregrine nests
RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service says two cliffs in the Green Mountain National Forest are going to be closed to hikers to protect the nesting sites of peregrine falcons.
The sites on Mount Horrid in Rochester and Rattlesnake Mountain in Salisbury will be off-limits from March 15 to Aug. 1.
The once-endangered peregrine falcons raise their young on cliffs, and the species was restored in Vermont with help from wildlife agencies and private groups.
Last year 51 nesting pairs of peregrines were observed with at least 81 fledgling birds.
The state of Vermont typically closes trails near peregrine nests in the spring and early summer as well.
