Our National Symbol

Forty years ago, the bald eagle was in danger of extinction as a result of habitat destruction, illegal shooting and the exposure to DDT.

In 1962 Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, pointing out the dangers of DDT to bird populations and jump starting the popular movement that led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and the banning of DDT in the United States.

Today there are an estimated 9,789 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous United States. Bald eagles have staged a remarkable population rebound and have recovered to the point that they no longer need the protection of the Endangered Species Act.

Thus, on June 28, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the recovery of our nation’s symbol and removal from the list of threatened and endangered species.

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring.

Facts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Photo Courtesy of Susan Schubel