Eagle still soars.

Byline: The Register-Guard

The American bald eagle has been the proud and majestic symbol of this nation for more than two centuries. Now, it should also become a symbol of the success of the Endangered Species Act, which the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress are trying to dismantle.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday announced that it is pushing ahead with plans to declare the eagle's population safely restored and to remove the bird from the lists of threatened and endangered species.

The recovery is a triumph of human resolve and restraint. It should remind all Americans, regardless of their politics, of how effective the Endangered Species Act has been - and why it's now critically important to protect the law itself from ex- tinction.

A half-century ago, runaway development in traditional breeding areas and widespread use of the eggshell-thinning insecticide DDT had devastated the eagle population. By 1963, there were only 417 breeding pairs of the bird. Scientists believe there were 100,000 pairs when Europeans first arrived on the con- tinent.

The eagle was listed as endangered in most of the country in 1967 under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act, which Congress approved - and President Nixon signed - six years later. The act prohibited killing the birds, either directly or by damaging their habitat.

The law's critics often claim that it is ineffective because few of the listed species have recovered to the point where they can be delisted. Under the act, species routinely check in for protection and recovery, but they rarely check out, critics complain. They note that less than a dozen of the roughly 1,300 species listed as endangered under the act have fully recovered.

They're right, but only to a point. The reason that species remain listed for a long time is that imperiled wildlife doesn't recover on command. Scientists agree that it takes decades, even longer, for most species to recover fully. Since most species have been listed for an average of 15 years, it's unrealistic to expect full recoveries until more time has passed.

The eagle is a prime example. Fish and Wildlife officials in 1978 listed the bald eagle as endangered in 43 states and threatened in Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. It took years for the government to develop detailed recovery plans that included specific population and reproduction goals.

Ever so gradually, the eagles began their recovery. While they bounced back more quickly in the Northwest and Southeast, they struggled in the Southwest and New England. Today, there are an estimated 7,066 breeding pairs, and eagles are thriving in 49 states.

Instead of looking at how many species have fully recovered, critics should consider how many have been protected from extinction and are on the road to recovery. Only nine of the 1,800 species ever listed have been declared extinct, while more than two-thirds the conditions of which are known are stable or improving. That's a remarkable record, one that accounts for the continued survival of the whooping crane, the grizzly bear, the Florida panther and the manatee.

A package of reforms passed by the House last year would eviscerate the act and have a profoundly destructive effect on listed animals and plants. Authored by California Republican Richard Pombo, the bill would revise and narrow protections for critical habitat, repeal protections against hazardous pesticides and require that the government reimburse property owners if the law restricts the use of their land in any way. It would also allow logging, mining, energy and other companies to circumvent review by federal wildlife agencies, which are charged with making certain that use of public resources doesn't hurt endangered wildlife.

After 32 years, the Endangered Species Act could certainly use some thoughtful revision. Even ardent supporters would agree that many of its procedures are cumbersome and magnets for litigation. A convincing argument can be made for providing incentives to landowners who voluntarily preserve habitat.

But if Pombo's misguided bill becomes law, it will undermine three decades of environmental success - success exemplified by the recovery of the very symbol of this nation's greatness and resolve.