Two golden eagles were found dead in northeastern Oregon, along with three wolves and a cougar.

When it comes to protecting species under the law, the federal government is full of inconsistencies.

Injure or kill one protected species — a wolf, for example — and the perpetrator is likely to find himself in a heap of trouble. Jail time, fines — you name it.

Injure or kill another protected species — a golden eagle — and officials are likely to shrug, as if to say, “Oh, well, stuff happens.”

The birds are protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The eagle act allows the “taking” of birds for several reasons. Wind turbines are not listed, although protecting “other interests in a particular locality” is allowed.

This makes no sense and further serves as evidence of why these laws and the Endangered Species Act need to be updated with a dose of reality.

During the Trump and Biden administrations, the golden eagle has become an optional species. The federal government has issued permits that will ultimately allow operators of wind farms to kill the eagles by the thousands, according to The Associated Press.

Fines of up to $30,000 for each golden eagle death are baked into some permits, while killing a bald eagle may not mean any fine.

“They are rolling over backwards for wind companies,” Mike Lockhart, a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, told our colleagues at the AP. “I think they are killing a hell of a lot more eagles than they ever anticipated.”

During the current anti-oil panic, you can bet that if an oil company was killing those eagles, federal prosecutors would be all over them.

The largest wind turbines are particularly lethal to birds, include golden eagles. The tips of the blades can reach speeds of 150 mph, giving a bird no chance to avoid it.

We have written at length about the headlong race to plant wind and solar farms on agricultural land across the West, in the process taking many thousands of acres out of production.

The idea is to generate so-called “clean” electricity that will replace power from coal- and natural gas-powered generators. They have been identified as the culprits that belch carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide makes up 0.035% of the atmosphere, according to the National National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.

The race to build thousands of acres of wind farms, even in the airspace occupied by “protected” species such as golden eagles, lacks common sense.

As it stands, some species are protected while others are not, depending on whether wind turbines are involved.

That conclusion comes from how the federal Eagle Protection Act has been enforced. According to the AP, during the past 10 years, only 1 in 8 cases of eagle deaths that were prosecuted resulted in any fines, probation or jail.

Once again, the federal government has chosen the winners and losers in the effort to protect populations of golden eagles.

Wind turbine operators are the winners, and eagles are the losers.