What has contributed to the recovery of the bald eagle in the lower 48 states?
The recovery of the bald eagle was a national effort. Two important factors made the recovery of the bald eagle possible, the most critical being the Federal Government’s ban on the use of DDT in the United States in 1972. Second, the eagle is protected by the BGEPA, the MBTA and was placed on the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The ESA listing allowed us to protect habitat for the bald eagle, including nesting sites and summer and winter roost sites. States, private landowners and others played a vital role in restoring eagles, including purchasing and protecting important habitat, reintroducing the bald eagle back into the wild, and extensive public education efforts.
