Center for Conservation Biology

Over the past 200 years, as the United States symbol, the bald eagle has embodied the ideal of freedom. Over this time, no other species has become more interwoven in the fabric of American life. Once common along major river systems and coastal areas of Virginia, bald eagles suffered a dramatic population decline in the 30 years after World War II. Reduced productivity caused by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT eventually drove the Virginia population to a low of approximately 32 pairs by the early 1970's. The bald eagle was listed as endangered in 1967 under the Endangered Species Protection Act and subsequently under The Endangered Species Act of 1973. Following the ban of DDT and like compounds in 1972, eagles have experienced a tremendous recovery in both productivity and total numbers. Today, urban sprawl and shoreline development have replaced DDT as the greatest threat to the population.

The Center for Conservation Biology has been the lead conservation organization working toward restoration and management of the bald eagle in Virginia. Working with government agencies and a host of other groups, Center staff have monitored the Virginia population for 25 years. Over this time, the Center has conducted dozens of research projects focused on the development of better management techniques for this species and its habitat.