Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act - Timeline

Timeline

  • 1782: The Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress adopted the bald eagle as the symbol of the United States. The United States had approximately 100,000 nesting eagles.
  • 1921:In the magazine, "Ecology," articulated the possible extinction of the Bald Eagles
  • 1930:dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was first discovered
  • 1940: Congress enacted legislation known as the Bald Eagle Protection Act. This act prohibited selling, killing, or possessing the species
  • 1950: Bald Eagle was beginning to recover from human persecution
  • 1952: Bald Eagle Protection extended to include Alaska
  • 1962: Congress amended the act, extending the ban to Golden Eagles and the law became the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BEPA). This law protects the bird's feathers, eggshells, and body parts. In addition, it protects their nesting trees.
The bald eagles are significant to Native American tribes and therefore BEPA gave an exception for Indian religious purposes.
  • 1963: Due to shooting, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) poisoning, and loss of habitat, the Bald Eagles were in danger of extinction. Within 48 states, there were only 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles.
  • 1972: The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was amended again with several different aspects such as increasing the civil penalties for violating provisions increased to a maximum fine of a $5,000 and one year of imprisonment for first conviction. If second conviction occurs, a $10,000 and two years of imprisonment will take place.
DDT is banned in the United States, which resulted in the initial step of recovery for the Bald Eagles.
  • 1994: An executive issue was ordered by president Clinton which recognized the administrative delays and difficulties in obtaining eagle parts from the federal repository. The president also urged the relevant agencies to restructure the application process and continue the effort to obtain eagle parts to distribute to Native Americans.
  • 1995: The Bald Eagle's status altered from endangered to threatened
  • 1999: Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) request to remove the bald eagles from the endangered species and threatened list.
  • 2007: FWS and the U.S remove the Bald Eagles from threatened and endangered species.

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