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Bald Eagle Officially Saved
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The bald eagle, national symbol of the United States, departs from the threatened species list; after years on the brink, the eagle population soars in 48 states.
30 Second Summary
June 28, 2007––“Today I am proud to announce the eagle has returned,” declared Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. He was speaking at a Washington, DC ceremony celebrating the bald eagle’s removal from the threatened species list.
The eagle was reclassified as "threatened" in 1995, after decades of being "endangered" and on the verge of extinction.
In 1963, there were only 417 nesting pairs in the entire United States. That figure now stands at around 10,000 pairs.
The eagle went on the endangered list in 1967. Its natural habitats were shrinking and it was hunted by farmers. However, the biggest threat was damage to the eagles’ eggs caused by the pesticide DDT, which was banned in 1972.
“In addition to being our national symbol, the bald eagle is now a symbol of environmental stewardship as well,” said Michael Daulton of the Audubon Society.
Not everyone has been a fan of the bald eagle. Founding father Benjamin Franklin famously ridiculed the eagle as a creature of “bad moral character.” To his mind, another animal might have been a better icon for the American spirit: the turkey.
The eagle was reclassified as "threatened" in 1995, after decades of being "endangered" and on the verge of extinction.
In 1963, there were only 417 nesting pairs in the entire United States. That figure now stands at around 10,000 pairs.
The eagle went on the endangered list in 1967. Its natural habitats were shrinking and it was hunted by farmers. However, the biggest threat was damage to the eagles’ eggs caused by the pesticide DDT, which was banned in 1972.
“In addition to being our national symbol, the bald eagle is now a symbol of environmental stewardship as well,” said Michael Daulton of the Audubon Society.
Not everyone has been a fan of the bald eagle. Founding father Benjamin Franklin famously ridiculed the eagle as a creature of “bad moral character.” To his mind, another animal might have been a better icon for the American spirit: the turkey.
Headline
“After nearly disappearing from most of the United States decades ago, the bald eagle is now flourishing across the nation and no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act,” states the Fish and Wildlife Service press release. The announcement of the iconic bird’s recovery was made at a ceremony at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC.
Source: Fish and Wildlife Service
“The rescue of the bald eagle from the brink of extinction ranks among the greatest victories of American conservation,” declared the president of the National Audubon Society. Audubon research shows that bald eagle populations “are continuing a steady climb in the lower 48 states.”
Source: The National Audubon Society
Reference Material
Though no longer endangered, the bald eagle remains protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. It is illegal for anyone to collect eagles or eagle parts, nests, or eggs without a permit.
Source: BaldEagleInfo.com
Threatened and endangered species are those that have declined so drastically that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is compelled to take federal action to protect the population. Threatened species are considered to be less at risk than endangered species.
Source: The Fish and Wildlife Service––The 1973 Endangered Species Act
The removal of the bald eagle from the list of threatened species was announced at a special ceremony at the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC. This site provides information on the eagle’s recovery and efforts to save other endangered and threatened U.S. species.
Source: The Fish and Wildlife Service––Endangered Species Homepage
Though they have few natural enemies, bald eagles have been preyed on by farmers and ranchers, who consider the birds pests. Other threats to the species have been environmental, in particular the use of the pesticide DDT, as explained here in this species overview.
Source: USFlag.org
History
Benjamin Franklin
The bald eagle was first depicted on the U.S. Great Seal in 1782, and became the official national symbol in 1789.
Benjamin Franklin did not, as reported in some sources, protest publicly against the use of the bald eagle as an American icon. He did, however, discuss with his daughter a particularly bad drawing that made the eagle look like a turkey. In a private letter, he compared the traits of the two creatures. Franklin judged that the bald eagle was “a Bird of bad moral Character,” whereas the turkey is “though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.”
The bald eagle was first depicted on the U.S. Great Seal in 1782, and became the official national symbol in 1789.
Benjamin Franklin did not, as reported in some sources, protest publicly against the use of the bald eagle as an American icon. He did, however, discuss with his daughter a particularly bad drawing that made the eagle look like a turkey. In a private letter, he compared the traits of the two creatures. Franklin judged that the bald eagle was “a Bird of bad moral Character,” whereas the turkey is “though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.”
Source: GreatSeal.com
“The eagle represents freedom. Living as he does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary grandeur of Nature, he has unlimited freedom.” Baldeagleinfo.com analyzes the iconography and history of this national bird.
Source: BaldEagleInfo.com
Background
In 1995, the bald eagle was downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened" by the FWS. A threatened species is one likely to become endangered, at which point it is close to extinction.
Source: The Fish and Wildlife Service
Related Links
Yellowstone grizzly bears came off the FWS endangered species list in March 2007. The bears were classified as endangered in 1975, when the population was somewhere between 136 and 312. There are more than 500 bears today. However, four grizzly populations elsewhere in the States remain endangered.
Source: Science Daily
Manatees were downgraded from “endangered” to “threatened” in June 2006, though the move sparked complaints from environmentalists. Florida has its own definition of “endangered,” and many people concerned for animal welfare believe the bar is set too high in Florida so that species threatened with extinction are not getting the protection they need.
Source: Seattle Times
In March 2006, gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes region of the United States were removed from the list of endangered species. The area concerned covers three states, and the wolf population was estimated at 4,000, up from 1,000 in 1974.
Source: AmericanLoggers.com
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