The bald eagle has made an “incredible recovery,” according to a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife report, which recommends removing the national bird from the list of state-protected species.
“It’s really exciting to be able to celebrate a conservation success because they are sometimes few and far between,” said Hannah Anderson, WDFW’s listing and recovery section manager.
A change in state status wouldn’t lift federal restrictions on activities near nests. The species would still be protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Act.
The change in state status, however, would highlight the recovery in Washington of an American icon.
WDFW’s report credits the banning of some chemicals, including DDT in 1972, for the bird’s rebound. As apex predators, bald eagles ingest toxins absorbed by their prey.
Source: www.capitalpress.com