Good job, New Jersey! The bald eagle and the osprey were removed from New Jersey’s list of endangered species on Monday, an action reflecting more than four decades of conservation work by biologists and volunteers, according to state officials.
Fifty years ago New Jersey’s bald eagle population had fallen to just a single breeding pair after the species was devastated by deforestation and the use of the now-banned chemical pesticide DDT. In 2024 the state had a record of 293 nesting pairs, 264 of which laid eggs, the Department of Environmental Protection said Monday.
The osprey population was also ravaged by the use of DDT, with the number of nests in New Jersey having fallen to around 50 by the early 1970s. The concerted recovery effort resulted in a record 800 occupied osprey nests being documented in 2023.