The Bald Eagle in Oklahoma

The Future

The future for the bald eagle no longer looks as bleak as it once did. Concem over declining populations prompted the creation of a number of protective measures for this and other birds. Today, both the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Eagle Protection Act prohibit killing, possessing or harming bald eagles in any way. The Endangered Species Act also protects both the species itself and some areas of habitat critical to its survival. These laws and others have helped to slow the decline of this species.

Perhaps more important was the ban of DDT in 1972, as well as other pesticide restrictions, which apparently have resulted in increased reproductive success. No longer are bald eagle populations declining at the rate they did when the use of these products was widespread.

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