H. Res. 1247 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
June 18, 2008. 
Whereas the bald eagle was designated as the national em-
blem of the United States on June 20, 1782, by our 
country’s Founding Fathers at the Second Continental 
Congress; 
Whereas the bald eagle is the central image used in the Great 
Seal of the United States and the seals of the President 
and Vice President; 
Whereas the image of the bald eagle is displayed in the offi-
cial seal of many branches and departments of the Fed-
eral Government, including— 
(1) Congress; 
(2) the Supreme Court; 
(3) the Department of Defense; 
(4) the Department of the Treasury; 
(5) the Department of Justice; 
(6) the Department of State; 
(7) the Department of Commerce; 
(8) the Department of Homeland Security; 
(9) the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
(10) the Department of Labor; 
(11) the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices; 
(12) the Department of Energy;
•HRES 1247 EH 
(13) the Department of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment; 
(14) the Central Intelligence Agency; and 
(15) the United States Postal Service; 
Whereas the bald eagle is an inspiring symbol of the Amer-
ican spirit of freedom and democracy; 
Whereas the image, meaning, and symbolism of the bald 
eagle have played a significant role in American art, 
music, history, literature, architecture, and culture since 
the founding of our Nation; 
Whereas the bald eagle is featured prominently on United 
States stamps, currency, and coinage; 
Whereas the habitat of bald eagles exists only in North 
America; 
Whereas by 1963, the number of nesting pairs of bald eagles 
in the lower 48 States had dropped to about 417; 
Whereas the bald eagle was first listed as an endangered spe-
cies in 1967 under the Endangered Species Preservation 
Act, the Federal law that preceded the Endangered Spe-
cies Act of 1973; 
Whereas caring and concerned citizens of the United States 
in the private and public sectors banded together to save, 
and help ensure the protection of, bald eagles; 
Whereas in 1995, as a result of the efforts of those caring 
and concerned citizens, bald eagles were removed from 
the endangered species list and upgraded to the less im-
periled threatened species status under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973;
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Whereas by 2006, the number of bald eagles in the lower 48 
States had increased to approximately 7,000 to 8,000 
nesting pairs; 
Whereas the Secretary of the Interior removed the bald eagle 
from the Federal list of threatened species effective Au-
gust 8, 2007; 
Whereas the bald eagle remains subject to the Migratory 
Bird Treaty Act and on May 28, 2008, the Secretary of 
the Interior issued regulations providing continued pro-
tection under the Act popularly known as the Bald and 
Golden Eagle Protection Act; 
Whereas bald eagles would have been permanently extinct if 
not for vigilant conservation efforts of concerned citizens 
and strict protection laws; 
Whereas the dramatic recovery of the bald eagle population 
is an endangered species success story and an inspira-
tional example for other wildlife and natural resource 
conservation efforts around the world; 
Whereas the initial recovery of the bald eagle population was 
accomplished by the concerted efforts of numerous gov-
ernment agencies, corporations, organizations, and indi-
viduals; and 
Whereas the sustained recovery of the bald eagle populations 
will require the continuation of recovery, management, 
education, and public awareness programs, to ensure that 
the populations and habitat of bald eagles will remain 
healthy and secure for future generations: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
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(1) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘American 
Eagle Day’’; and 
(2) encourages— 
(A) educational entities, organizations, busi-
nesses, conservation groups, and government agen-
cies with a shared interest in conserving endangered 
species to collaborate on education information for 
use in schools; and 
(B) the people of the United States to observe 
American Eagle Day with appropriate ceremonies 
and other activities. 
Attest: 
Clerk.