While humans were largely responsible for the decimation of the bald eagle, humankind has played an equally important role in restoration successes. From a peak that may have reached a half-million bald eagles in the early 1700s to a low of less than 1,000 birds by the early 1960s, bald eagles were nearly forced into extinction. Shot, poisoned, trapped - until the mid-20th Century, eagles were considered to be at best, worthless. At worst, they were considered a threat to livestock and game. States from Pennsylvania to Alaska instituted bounties on bald eagles and other predators. A 1668 account from Casco Bay, Maine, described a large number of eagles flocking to the bay to feed on fish kill, and a large number of local residents flocking to the bay to harvest eagles, enough to feed their hogs for "some time." In the late 1800s, hunters were reported to have shot Bald eagles "at their leisure," and between 1917 and 1953, 100,000 eagles were shot for the bounty program in Alaska. Since the banning of DDT, passage of state and federal laws protecting bald eagles and implementation of improved resource management - especially habitat protection - the birds have rebounded. Today, more than 55,000 bald eagles live in the United States, including at least 20,000 in the lower 48 states. The bald eagle is currently federally listed as a threatened species, though that may soon change, and remains an endangered species in many states, including Vermont. The bald eagle is protected by a slew of legislation, including dozens of state statutes and the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918, the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Lacy Act as amended. Federal laws provide fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for organizations for Lacy Act felony violations. To learn more, click on one of the following links: National Bird Statutory Protections Regional Breeding Eagle Counts Terms of Use - Copyright 2007 Central Vermont Public Service Copyright photos CVPS, Floyd Scholz U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Web related issues || Site developed by Interactive Media Advertising