'I have it on my fireplace': New York governor took eagle feather

Monday, August 13, 2018  

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is promising to do something about an eagle feather he said his family took from a lake in upstate New York.

Cuomo either plans to return the feather to Lake Saranac or donate it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a spokesperson told The Associated Press. If he chooses the latter, the feather might one day end up in the hands of a Native American.

That's because Cuomo, as a non-Native, is not legally allowed to possess an eagle feather without federal approval. The AP asked questions after the governor, during a speech last week, admitted that he kept one "on my fireplace" after finding it during a family outing on Lake Saranac some years back.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the National Eagle Repository in the 1970s to distribute eagle feathers and parts to tribal citizens. Due to the large number of requests, it typically takes about two years to fulfill a request, according to The New York Times and other news reports.

"Requests are filled on a first come first serve basis by date of application," the agency's website states. "Numbers of requests, by far, exceeds the number of eagles available which imposes various waiting times for orders to be filled."

Read More on the Story:
Gov. Cuomo says he once found an eagle feather and kept it -- which is illegal (The Associated Press August 13, 2018)
Cuomo’s cherished eagle feather is likely illegal (The New York Post August 12, 2018)