In the Tribune’s June 18 news item on the recovery and proposed removal of the bald eagle from the endangered species list, it mentioned that the eagle was near extinction. This is misleading.
The bald eagle was near extinction in the lower 48 states. There have always been healthy populations in Alaska and Canada.
This distinction needs to be made for several reasons. First, it’s true. Second, it helps shows the flexibility of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), giving the government latitude to protect distinct populations of a species instead of its entire range. Finally, it shows the need for local conservation efforts to protect biological diversity.
After all, the reason the federal government is involved is because the states failed to conserve their own native plants and animals. Illinois and Indiana each have more than 200 species of concern that could require federal action in the future if the states don’t get their act together and take measures to protect them. In the past the states simply let this responsibility fall on the feds.
It was also the ESA that gave the government the authority to ban the use of DDT in the U.S., leading to the recovery of the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, brown pelican and others. It should be noted that DDT is still manufactured here and is exported to other countries to perform its magic there.
As an advocate for the conservation of the nation’s biological resources, I strongly support the ESA, but both advocates and the media need to conduct the debate in total honesty. If not, the campaign loses credibility.
