News Editor
The majestic symbol of the United States, the bald eagle, has been lifted from the threatened and endangered species list.
On June 28, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced the bird would no longer grace the list of those species most likely to go extinct. The move becomes official 30 days after being published in the Federal Register.
At one time, the population of bald eagles in the lower 48 states dropped to about 400 nesting pairs. More than 40 years later, the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the number had grown to 10,000 nesting pairs.
Phil Carroll, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said this kind of recovery is not common, and the eagle is only the 21st species to come off the list because it recovered. More often species are delisted because they are reclassified or have gone extinct, he said.
“It is a very charismatic and imposing and handsome species so it got more support than many critters that may have found themselves in equally dire straits at some point,” Carroll said.
Bob Sallinger, conservation director for the Audubon Society in Portland, said, “It’s a real cause for celebration.”
Bald eagle populations began declining with the arrival of the European settlers. The first protection came in the form of the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940.
According the Environmental Protection Agency, the pesticide DDT first came into wide commercial and agricultural usage in the late 1940s. The chemical was used for nearly 30 years until 1972, when the EPA banned its use in the U.S.
DDT was found to have several adverse effects on the environment, but for the declining eagle population, it nearly led to disaster.
The pesticide caused several egg-laying species to produce eggs with very thin shells that could not withstand the incubation period.
“We sprayed very heavy amounts in Oregon,” Sallinger said. This affected where you might see one of several species of birds, and especially the bald eagle.
All delisted species are monitored for five years after delistment. The bald eagle has two other laws that protect it. The bald and golden eagle act of 1940 specifically protects these two types of birds from harm, and harm could mean preventing them from nesting, said Carroll.
“You don’t have to physically damage them to be prosecuted,” he said.
An international agreement also applies to the bald eagle. First enacted in 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects birds that fly between countries from hunters and provides for monetary and criminal punishments.
“One of the things we’ve done at the same time we’re taking the eagle off the list of threatened and endangered species is to beef up the protections,” Carroll said of changes to the bald and golden eagle act.
Carroll said while harming the animals may be clear-cut in its meaning, the word “disturb” is not so obvious.
“It explains in excruciating detail what kinds of things constitute disturb,” he said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service takes calls from people who have eagles nesting on their property and wish to do something nearby. Carroll said one rule to follow is if the birds nest there while the activity is ongoing, they are probably more tolerant of humans.
“Some individuals and pairs are very happy co-existing with some vigorous human activity,” Carroll said.
Sallinger said he is still concerned about the bald eagle population in the deserts of the southwest, where the populations haven’t recovered as well as in other areas. He is hopeful nonetheless that the species will continue to thrive and stay off the list.
“With the tremendous visibility they have in the public, I think they are going to do very, very well,” Carroll said.
Despite feeling some reservations about celebrating decisions made 40 years ago and their success, Sallinger is hopeful this will influence future generations to make the same kinds of choices about protecting wildlife.
“It will take time, but the Endangered Species Act does work,” Sallinger said.
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See an Eagle
The Klamath Basin is home to the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states. The “Winter Wings Festival” is a four-day event that used to be known as the Bald Eagle Conference, but now encompasses the many migratory birds that flock to the basin during the winter months.
The festival is held every year in February, coinciding with President’s Day weekend.
Did you know?
? The bald eagle was chosen as the national bird in 1782 because it is unique to North America.
? The bald eagle is found on the Great Seal, Federal agency seals, the President’s flag and the $1 bill.
? Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” was published in 1962 and outlined the dangers of DDT.