Bald Eagle Removed From the Endangered Species Act List

On June, 28 2007, the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the successful return of the bald eagle. Secretary Kempthorne stated that currently there are approximately 10,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous forty-eight states, up from a low of 417 in 1963. Many experts, however, attribute the recovery of the species more to the banning of DDT than any actions taken to pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The removal of the bald eagle from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Species will be effective thirty days after it is published in the Federal Register. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to monitor the eagles for at least the next five years. The Service is making the draft post-delisting monitoring plan available and will be soliciting public comment for 90 days. The bald eagle will continue to receive protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, both of which prohibit killing, selling, or harming eagles, their nests, or eggs.

Printable View