STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Amateur archaeologist Danny Younger believes his latest discovery could rewrite local history – and potentially stall a major infrastructure project.
“The reason we’re digging at this spot is we discovered a map in the Library of Congress dated to 1759,” Younger said, walking along Pocono Creek.
He believes the site may be home to the long-lost Fort Hamilton, commissioned by Benjamin Franklin during the French and Indian War. But it’s what he found above ground that’s drawing the most attention: a bald eagle’s nest.
“Have you seen eagles in there?” 69 News Reporter Bo Koltnow asked.
“Oh, absolutely. Got the two parents and two fledglings this year,” he replied.
That nest could pose a problem for PennDOT. It appears to sit within the 660-foot federally required buffer zone around active bald eagle nests in construction zones. PennDOT is planning a nearly $1 billion widening project on Interstate 80 in Monroe County.
“I can’t understand it,” said state Rep. Tarah Probst. “It is a massive eagle’s nest with massive eagles inside of it, so it tells me they didn’t do their due diligence.”
Probst said the nest was not included in PennDOT’s required environmental impact studies. She added that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – the lead federal agency on such matters – is aware of the situation but is currently unavailable due to the federal shutdown.
Probst, a longtime critic of PennDOT, is calling for the project to be scaled back and redesigned.
“The secretary of transportation in District 5 – they do whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want, however they want. And nobody should have that much power,” she said.
In a statement, PennDOT said it is in compliance with all federal and state laws, including the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.