In 2006, Congress passed a resolution declaring May 16th to be Endangered Species Day, a day of celebration and of rededication to the efforts that take place — locally, regionally, nationally and internationally — to protect and restore rare, threatened and endangered animals, plants and other living things.
One of the most important tools in the effort to protect these diverse and imperiled life forms is the Endangered Species Act [ESA], passed by Congress in 1973. This powerful and effective law required the government to identify and list those forms of life that at risk of extinction, or in rapid decline. Once identified, the various species are added to lists of threatened (in rapid decline and urgently in need of protection) or endangered (facing the critical and immediate risk of extinction). In addition to identifying the various species of disappearing animals, plants, or insects, ESA also requires the identification of the critical habitat, upon which each of these species depends for survival. A recovery plan is then required which will enable the listed species to be pulled back from the brink of extinction.
There has been a 99% success rate — so far — in preventing listed species from disappearing altogether. A greater reason for celebration is the successful recovery of many species which has enabled them to be removed from the list of threatened and endangered species entirely!
The most notable of these conservation success stories is the recovery of the Bald Eagle. Not only the symbol of the United States, but also the flagship species for the movement to restore our planet, the Bald Eagle is the best example of how wildlife conservation and environmental protection can work. The once-common Bald Eagle was driven to the brink of extinction by many factors, including the destruction of habitat, direct killing of the birds for sport or to protect domestic animals and fisheries, and the contamination of entire ecosystems by pesticides and other chemicals. The most destructive of these was DDT, a broad spectrum insecticide, widely used in agriculture, around industries and residential development, and even for direct application to humans, pets, and livestock.
DDT is in the family of pesticides known as organochlorines. They are very long-lasting in the environment, which meant organochlorines were very effective against the target insects, but it also meant they would continue to sicken and kill non-target organisms for decades, contaminating the entire food-chain in areas where it was used. Farmers put it on crops to kill insects, fish ate the dead and dying insects, and eagles ate the fish. The effect of the chemical in eagles was to prevent the birds from accessing the calcium in their systems, which had many adverse effects, including the thinning of egg shells. When eagles were successful in laying eggs, they would be easily broken, thus reducing the production of chicks. The population of eagles plummeted.
Here in Virginia, in 1973, there were only about 30 pairs of Bald Eagles nesting in the entire state. By the early 1980s, DDT residues were just starting to dissipate, and the population had crept up to about 50 pairs. Yet, with the protection of the Endangered Species Act, eagle conservation became a true priority. In the face of strong criticism from development and industrial interests, an effective partnership of conservation organizations and a wide variety of public and private agencies and institutions worked vigorously to protect the dwindling habitat from destruction, to find and address the environmental threats affecting eagles, and to educate the public about the significance of Bald Eagles, not just as a symbol of our nation, but also as an example of the need for 
conservation. The Wildlife Center of Virginia provided life-saving care of individual eagles, each one of which was critical to the small population — birds that had been poisoned, injured, or orphaned. And the Center worked to identify the environmental contaminants affecting eagles. One of those was the pesticide carborfuran (sold under the trade name Furadan), which was shown to be killing up to two million birds per year in the United States, including many eagles. It took many years but, under the Center’s leadership, the chemical was ultimately banned nationwide.
Today, there are estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000 pairs of eagles nesting in Virginia. Seeing an eagle was once an extremely rare experience. Today, eagles have become so abundant that there are social groups, businesses and community festivals focused specifically on eagle watching. The Bald Eagle is back and going strong.
As we observe Endangered Species Day, we need keep in mind that the recovery of the Bald Eagle is not a reason to ease up or to rest on our laurels. The recovery of our national bird should inspire us and motivate us to redouble our efforts to protect wild things and wild places wherever they are found. It is certainly a day on which to remind ourselves that when we care enough to act, great things are possible.
