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Endangered Species Act brings back the Bald Eagle America’s national symbol removed from threatened status After making a dramatic comeback over the past three decades, today the bald eagle was removed from the federal Endangered Species List. Thanks to its protection under the Endangered Species Act more than 30 years ago, the raptor has bounced back dramatically from the brink of extinction. In 1963, the eagle’s numbers dwindled to just 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. The Endangered Species Act has brought the eagle back: Today, an estimated 9,789 pairs soar from coast to coast. However, as we celebrate this success, endangered species protections are being rewritten to scale back protection for wildlife like the bald eagle. The following is the statement of Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope: “Today represents an enormous milestone for environmentalists and Americans: Our cornerstone conservation law, the Endangered Species Act, has saved our national symbol, the bald eagle. This success shows that conservation and patriotism go hand in hand.” “The bald eagle has always symbolized the resilience of the American spirit. Now it symbolizes the success of the Endangered Species Act.” “Without decades of protection under the Endangered Species Act, the bald eagle would never have recovered from the brink of extinction. The bald eagle is thriving today because it was protected thirty years ago from toxic pollution and development.” “The bald eagle is back, but now the regulations that saved it are endangered. As we celebrate the recovery of the bald eagle, efforts are underway to dramatically scale back Endangered Species regulations. These proposed regulations work against the fundamental goal of the Endangered Species Act, which is to restore wildlife to healthy numbers and ensure survival for years to come.” “The bald eagle’s recovery is proof that the Endangered Species Act works. Now we need to make sure it keeps working.” |
