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Statement by Larry Schweiger
President of the National Wildlife Federation

Regarding U.S. Department of the Interior announcement declaring the bald eagle “recovered” in the lower-48 states and its decision to remove the eagle from the list of threatened species protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Washington, DC (June 28) – “The remarkable recovery of the bald eagle is one of America’s greatest achievements. For those working to protect wildlife for future generations, recovery of the bald eagle is wildlife’s ‘man on the moon’ moment.

“The American bald eagle is once again flying free of the need of Endangered Species Act intensive care protection.

“The return of our national symbol is a victory for wildlife, a victory for conservation, and a victory for the Endangered Species Act. For the eagle and scores of other imperiled wildlife, the Endangered Species Act is the nation’s moral commitment not to be responsible for the extinction of living creations.

“Today’s action is a huge success story demonstrating that when Congress provides the necessary resources, the Endangered Species Act is a law that works. The bald eagle joins other species which have successfully recovered under the Act’s guidance, including the brown pelican, American alligator, Yellowstone grizzly and peregrine falcon. Since the Act was signed into law, it has been 99 percent successful at preventing the extinction of species.

“Chosen for its strength and independence, this icon of the wild exemplifies what it means to be American. As we celebrate the recovery of the bald eagle, we also celebrate the power of strong conservation laws that serve to protect our wildlife heritage.

“When Americans first realized our national symbol was in danger of being lost forever, there were only 417 nesting pairs left in the lower 48 states. Today, eagle numbers are strong with over 9,700 breeding pairs throughout the lower 48 states.

"Forty years ago we almost lost the bald eagle because of our recklessness. But as the bird teetered on the edge, Americans took a bold step and declared that we would not allow our national symbol to go extinct. Thanks to the commitment of the American people and the joint efforts of landowners, conservationists, business owners, scientists, federal, state and local agencies, and our champions in Congress, bald eagles are once again thriving throughout the nation.

“The banning of DDT in 1972, passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, and dedicated efforts by scientists and citizens across the country have all contributed to the success we celebrate today.

“The lessons of the bald eagle and the Endangered Species Act are pertinent to the current battle over global warming. If we want to avoid global warming’s most catastrophic effects, we need to adopt the same strategy of taking corrective action before it is too late.

“Today we celebrate the independence of the eagle. On July 4th we will celebrate our nation’s independence. Next, Congress needs to work on helping America achieve our energy independence by breaking our addiction on oil and setting us on the path to a new energy future.

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s conservation organization protecting wildlife for our children’s future. www.nwf.org.

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Contact:
Aislinn Maestas, 202-797-6624, maestas@nwf.org