Secretary Kempthorne signs document removing the American Bald Eagle from the Endangered Species List. The delisting will be effective 30 days after the final rule is published in the Federal Register. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann]

Bald Eagle Soars Off
Endangered Species List
Secretary Kempthorne: The eagle has returned

WASHINGTON, D.C – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the removal of the bald eagle from the list of threatened and endangered species at a ceremony at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. After nearly disappearing from most of the United States decades ago, the bald eagle is now flourishing across the nation and no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act.

“Today I am proud to announce: the eagle has returned,” said Secretary Kempthorne. “In 1963, the lower 48 states were home to barely 400 nesting pairs of bald eagles. Today, after decades of conservation effort, they are home to some 10,000 nesting pairs, a 25-fold increase in the last 40 years. Based on its dramatic recovery, it is my honor to announce the Department of the Interior’s decision to remove the American Bald Eagle from the Endangered Species List.” more en Español

• Read Secretary Kempthorne's Remarks
• Statement by the President
  
• Additional Information on the Bald Eagle
• Bald Eagle Delisting Ceremony Highlights
• Bald Eagle Soaring Once Again Video
  

  Joint Production of the National Zoo/USFWS (contains copyrighted video material):
  5MB	56MB

• Public Domain Footage of Bald Eagle

  Windows Media format

• See Additional Photos

The ideals and freedoms that were won during the
American Revolution and guaranteed in the Constitution
and the Declaration of Independence are
celebrated throughout the National Park System.

Celebrate Independence in
America's National Parks

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and National Park Service Director Mary Bomar invite you to celebrate Independence this year at one of the many diverse sites in the National Park System.

The National Park Service has the honor of preserving numerous areas that commemorate the birth of the United States and American Independence. The ideals and freedoms that were won during the American Revolution and guaranteed in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are celebrated throughout the National Park System. more en Español

• 2007 Independence Day Celebrations
  and Programs

Secretary Kempthorne Welcomes
World Heritage Committee’s Decision
to Remove Everglades National Park
from List of Endangered Sites

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne welcomed the unanimous decision made by the World Heritage Committee at a meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, to remove Everglades National Park from the World Heritage in Danger List in recognition of the progress the United States has made in addressing key issues that led to the listing of the park in 1993. more
en Español

• Read About Everglades Restoration
• Listen to Everglades Podcasts

DOI Information on Avian Influenza

Visit Pandemic & Avian Flu.gov for all related federal information.

PandemicFlu.gov en Español

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s principal conservation agency. Interior is a large, decentralized agency with over 80,000 employees and 180,000 volunteers located at approximately 2,400 operating locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and freely associated states. more

• Mission Statement
• Key Officials
• Organizational Chart
• DOI In the News
• DOI en Español
• History
• Past Secretaries of the Interior Department
• Quick Facts
• Strategic Plan

Below are links to some DOI sites that may be of interest.

Floods Supply in the West Conservation Resources	Astrogeology at USGS Hurricanes Earthquakes Energy
Fire Maps Parks/Refuges/BLM Lands Offshore Lands/Volcanoes	Endangered Species Habitats & Conservation Wild Horse & Burro Adoption Duck Stamps
Special Trustee Indian Trust Territories and Islands	www.HealthyForests.gov Avian Influenza Information 2005 Hurricane Recovery