February 20, 2006
INTELLIGENT DESIGN FILES:
According to Interior Department officials, there are only a few small regulatory hurdles to go before the eagle officially comes off the list. The bird's progress has been remarkable. In 1963, there were only 413 verifiable breeding pairs in the continental United States. Today there are 7,066, enough to justify delisting. The banning of the pesticide DDT in 1972 was enormously helpful. But so were the habitat protections provided by the act.
All that really mattered were the hunting bans and laws against trade in eagle feathers. Keep them and the birds will do fine.
Unloop.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at February 20, 2006 11:51 AMI was on a guided fishing trip in a Florida coastal marsh a few years ago, and a mated pair of eagles overflew the boat. Beautiful birds.
Posted by: Mike Morley at February 20, 2006 1:22 PM"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him. ... With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward." -- Benjamin Franklin
Posted by: jd watson![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://brothersjuddblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 20, 2006 3:03 PM