Return of the Bald Eagle

The steps of federal protection that brought the bald eagle back in the lower 48 states:

In 1940 - Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act, prohibiting killing or selling
of bald eagles.

In 1967 - under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, bald eagles south
of the 40th parallel were listed as endangered.

In 1972 - the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT (an
organophosphate pesticide) in the United States.

In 1995 - the US Fish and Wildlife Service downl isted the species from endangered to
threatened status in all lower 48 states.

In 2007 - the US Fish and Wildlife Service de-listed the species from the threatened
species list in all lower 48 states.

Number of Nesting Pairs of Bald Eagles in the Lower 48 States

Between the early 1980's and 2000, most States conducted annual bald eagle surveys. Since then, many states
recognized that annual surveys were no longer necessary. That is why you will not see annual data after 2000.

Today, the Chesapeake Bay region is home to the largest concentrations of

Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states, with an estimated 400 or more pairs
currently breeding in Maryland.