Portraits of America’s Bald Eagle.

The Bald Eagle has been the emblem of the United States since 1782

The Bald Eagle has been the emblem of the United States since 1782.

The Bald Eagle’s recovery is an American success story. Forty years ago, the bald eagle, our national symbol, was in danger of extinction throughout most of its range. Habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting, and the contamination of its food source, due to use of the pesticide DDT, decimated the eagle population.

Habitat protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the federal government’s banning of DDT, and conservation actions taken by the American public helped Bald Eagles make a remarkable recovery. Bald eagles no longer need Endangered Species Act protection because their population is protected, healthy, and growing.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) was signed into law by Republican President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled “the plain intent of Congress in enacting was to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction.”

Read more about the Bald Eagle’s road to recovery at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/history/index.html