Media Statement
April 4, 2023
Contact: Brandy Donaldson, Brandy.donaldson@constellation.com, 309-428-7539
Constellation Temporarily Closes Portion of Hiking Trails Near Fisherman’s Park to Help Prevent Spread of Avian Flu
Constellation is committed to being a responsible environmental steward of our many recreational sites and we care about the health and safety of our visitors -- as the operator of the Conowingo Dam, Maryland’s largest source of clean, renewable energy.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources collected black vulture carcasses on Constellation property near the entrance of Fishermen’s Park in March. Most were located near the first guard shack entering Fisherman’s Park Parking Lot on Shure’s Landing Road, also near the trailhead to the Wildflower Trail. No dead birds have been found near the fishing wharf or Conowingo Dam.
Several of these birds were tested by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and may possibly have the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI). The birds have been sent to a national laboratory for further testing. Constellation is working in close coordination with state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Maryland Department of Environment, Maryland Department of Agriculture and MDNR to help protect the public and wild birds in Fisherman’s Park, including the area’s beloved eagles.
Although Fisherman’s Park remains open, to help prevent HPAI spread, we have temporarily closed a portion of the Wildflower Trail from Fisherman’s Park including the gravel parking area adjacent to the trail at Fisherman’s Park. This temporary closure is intended to help reduce HPAI spread from people walking or biking through this area and help reduce contact with sick or dead birds.
We implemented similar temporary trail closures last year in these same locations, working closely with the USDA, MDNR, USFWS and the state health department.
Wild birds can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness. Because they may not show signs, the public should avoid contact with wild birds, especially dead birds or birds that are acting erratically. If anyone sees a sick or dead bird, please report it to Site Security or the USDA.
We are following safety protocols that are intended to assist with preventing HPAI spread. We will reopen these sites when it is prudent to do so.
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About Constellation
Headquartered in Baltimore, Constellation Energy Corporation (Nasdaq: CEG) is the nation’s largest producer of clean, carbon-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services to businesses, homes, community aggregations and public sector customers across the continental United States, including three fourths of Fortune 100 companies. With annual output that is nearly 90 percent carbon-free, our hydro, wind and solar facilities paired with the nation’s largest nuclear fleet have the generating capacity to power the equivalent of 15 million homes, providing 10 percent of the nation’s clean energy. We are further accelerating the nation’s transition to a carbon-free future by helping our customers reach their sustainability goals, setting our own ambitious goal of achieving 100 percent carbon-free generation by 2040, and by investing in promising emerging technologies to eliminate carbon emissions across all sectors of the economy. Follow Constellation on LinkedIn and Twitter.
