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Foreword

Over the two-century period preceding the passage of the Endangered Species Act, scientists estimate that over 500 species slipped to extinction in the Unites States, most due to habitat loss. In the 21 years since the passage of the Endangered Species Act, 909 species have been determined to be either endangered or threatened, and, for all but 7, their extinction has been prevented. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been tasked to first stabilize and then recover these species by securing their populations, reversing their declines, and bringing them back to a point where the protections of the Act are no longer needed.

This 1994 report to Congress chronicles the success of the Service's efforts to recover these species. A good case study, representing the success of the Service's recovery efforts is the conservation of the bald eagle, our national symbol. Based on historical information available, these birds nested throughout the United States. In 1967, bald eagle numbers in the lower 48 States had dropped to approximately 417 nesting pairs. Population declines were attributed to habitat loss, illegal shooting, and the effects of DDT (a widely used insecticide) on reproductive success. In 26 years, the eagle rebounded to more than 4,000 nesting pairs in 1993. Additionally, scientists estimate that 5,000 to 6,000 juvenile bald eagles dwell in the lower 48 States. This success was due to reintroductions, the banning of DDT, public awareness campaigns, aggressive law enforcement, and other actions involving the Service, States, private organizations, and the cooperation of the American public. As a result, on July 12, 1994, the Service proposed to reclassify the bald eagle from endangered to threatened in all of the lower 48 States.

The Secretary of the Interior
Bruce Babbitt

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  1994.  Recovery program: Endangered and 
     threatened species.  U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and 
     Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.  63pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  1994.  Recovery program: Endangered and 
     threatened species.  U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and 
     Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.  Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie 
     Wildlife Research Center Online.
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/recovprg/index.htm
     (Version 16JUL97).

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Program Status
  • Recovery Overview
  • Recovery Policy
  • Recovery Implementation
    • Examples of Recovery
    • Cooperation with Others
  • Ecosystem Approach to Recovery
  • Relationship of Recovery to Other Sections of the Act
    • Section 6 (Cooperation with the States)
    • Section 7 (Interagency Cooperation)
    • Section 10(a)(1)(B) (Habitat Conservation Plans)
  • Recovery Successes
    • Examples of Recovery Successes
    • Monitoring Recovered Species
    • Delistings and Reclassifications
• Recovery Program Analyses and Status of Listed Species
  • Recovery Program Analyses
    • Endangered Species Recovery Appropriations
    • Summary of the Status of Listed Species
  • Species-by-Species Status Summary
• Summary
• Appendix
  • Mammals
  • Birds
  • Reptiles
  • Amphibians
  • Fishes
  • Snails
  • Clams
  • Crustaceans
  • Insects
  • Arachnids
  • Plants

The Road to Recovery, full-color poster, depicts some of the progress being made in the effort to restore vulnerable wildlife. It features six threatened or endangered animals and plants—from the bald eagle to the western prairie fringed orchid—that are now stable or even improving in status. Illustrations for the poster were produced by artist Dorothy Michele Novick, who passed away in 1994. They were her last work. Through this poster and other illustrations she produced for the Service, Ms. Novick made lasting contributions to the conservation of our nation's wildlife resources.

recovprg.zip (688235 bytes) -- Recovery Program: Endangered and Threatened Species, 1994