[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 191 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 191

 Designating June 20, 2017, as ``American Eagle Day'' and celebrating 
the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of 
                           the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 15, 2017

 Mr. Alexander (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Corker, Mrs. Ernst, Mrs. 
    Feinstein, Mr. Strange, and Mr. Perdue) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating June 20, 2017, as ``American Eagle Day'' and celebrating 
the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of 
                           the United States.

Whereas the bald eagle was chosen as the central image of the Great Seal of the 
        United States on June 20, 1782, by the Founding Fathers at the Congress 
        of the Confederation;
Whereas the bald eagle is widely known as the living national symbol of the 
        United States and for many generations has represented values, such as--

    (1) freedom;

    (2) democracy;

    (3) courage;

    (4) strength;

    (5) spirit;

    (6) independence;

    (7) justice; and

    (8) excellence;

Whereas the bald eagle is unique to North America and cannot be found naturally 
        in any other part of the world, which was one of the primary reasons the 
        Founding Fathers selected the bald eagle to symbolize the Government of 
        the United States;
Whereas the bald eagle is the central image used in the official logos of many 
        branches and departments of the Federal Government, including--

    (1) the Executive Office of the President;

    (2) Congress;

    (3) the Supreme Court of the United States;

    (4) the Department of Defense;

    (5) the Department of the Treasury;

    (6) the Department of Justice;

    (7) the Department of State;

    (8) the Department of Commerce;

    (9) the Department of Homeland Security;

    (10) the Department of Veterans Affairs;

    (11) the Department of Labor;

    (12) the Department of Health and Human Services;

    (13) the Department of Energy;

    (14) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;

    (15) the Central Intelligence Agency; and

    (16) the United States Postal Service;

Whereas the bald eagle is an inspiring symbol of the spirit of freedom and the 
        sovereignty of the United States;
Whereas the image and symbolism of the bald eagle has--

    (1) played a significant role in art, music, literature, architecture, 
commerce, education, and culture in the United States; and

    (2) appeared on United States stamps, currency, and coinage;

Whereas the bald eagle was endangered and facing possible extinction in the 
        lower 48 States but has made a gradual and encouraging comeback to the 
        land, waterways, and skies of the United States;
Whereas the dramatic recovery of the national bird of the United States is an 
        endangered species success story and an inspirational example to other 
        environmental, natural resource, and wildlife conservation efforts 
        worldwide;
Whereas, in 1940, noting that the bald eagle was threatened with extinction, 
        Congress passed the Act of June 8, 1940 (commonly known as the ``Bald 
        Eagle Protection Act'') (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.), which prohibited 
        killing, selling, or possessing the species, and a 1962 amendment 
        expanded protection to the golden eagle;
Whereas, by 1963, there were only an estimated 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles 
        remaining in the lower 48 States, with loss of habitat, poaching, and 
        the use of pesticides and other environmental contaminants contributing 
        to the near demise of the national bird of the United States;
Whereas, in 1967, the bald eagle was officially declared an endangered species 
        under Public Law 89-669 (80 Stat. 926) (commonly known as the 
        ``Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966'') in areas in the United 
        States south of the 40th parallel due to the dramatic decline in the 
        population of the bald eagle in the lower 48 States;
Whereas the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) was enacted 
        in 1973, and in 1978, the bald eagle was listed as an endangered species 
        throughout the lower 48 States, except in the States of Michigan, 
        Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, in which the bald eagle 
        was listed as a threatened species;
Whereas, in July 1995, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced 
        that in the lower 48 States, the bald eagle had recovered sufficiently 
        to change the status of the species from endangered to threatened;
Whereas, by 2007, bald eagles residing in the lower 48 States had rebounded to 
        approximately 11,000 pairs;
Whereas, on June 28, 2007, the Secretary the Interior and the Director of the 
        United States Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bald eagle from 
        protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
        seq.), but the bald eagle continues to be protected under the Act of 
        June 8, 1940 (commonly known as the ``Bald and Golden Eagle Protection 
        Act'') (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 
        703 et seq.), section 42 of title 18, United States Code (commonly known 
        as the ``Lacey Act''), and the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 
        3371 et seq.);
Whereas Challenger, the trained, educational bald eagle of the American Eagle 
        Foundation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was invited by the Secretary of 
        the Interior to perform a free-flight demonstration during the official 
        bald eagle delisting ceremony held at the Jefferson Memorial in 
        Washington, District of Columbia;
Whereas experts and population growth charts estimate that the bald eagle 
        population could reach 15,000 pairs, even though a physical count has 
        not been conducted by State and Federal wildlife agencies since 2007;
Whereas caring and concerned agencies, corporations, organizations, and people 
        of the United States representing Federal and State governments and the 
        private sector passionately and resourcefully banded together, 
        determined to save and protect the national bird of the United States;
Whereas the recovery of the bald eagle population in the United States was 
        largely accomplished through--

    (1) the dedicated and vigilant efforts of Federal and State wildlife 
agencies and nonprofit organizations, such as the American Eagle 
Foundation;

    (2) public education;

    (3) captive breeding and release programs;

    (4) hacking and release programs; and

    (5) the translocation of bald eagles from places in the United States 
with dense bald eagle populations to suitable locations in the lower 48 
States that had suffered a decrease in bald eagle populations;

Whereas various nonprofit organizations, such as the Southeastern Raptor Center 
        at Auburn University in the State of Alabama, contribute to the 
        continuing recovery of the bald eagle through rehabilitation and 
        educational efforts;
Whereas the bald eagle might have been lost permanently if not for dedicated 
        conservation efforts and strict protection laws such as--

    (1) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);

    (2) the Act of June 8, 1940 (commonly known as the ``Bald and Golden 
Eagle Protection Act'') (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.) ;

    (3) the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.);

    (4) section 42 of title 18, United States Code (commonly known as the 
``Lacey Act''); and

    (5) the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.); and

Whereas the sustained recovery of the bald eagle population will require the 
        continuation of recovery, management, education, and public awareness 
        programs to ensure that the population numbers and habitat of the bald 
        eagle remain healthy and secure for generations to come: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 20, 2017, as ``American Eagle Day'';
            (2) applauds the issuance of bald eagle commemorative coins 
        by the Secretary of the Treasury to generate critical funds for 
        the protection of the bald eagle; and
            (3) encourages--
                    (A) educational entities, organizations, 
                businesses, conservation groups, and government 
                agencies with a shared interest in conserving 
                endangered species to collaborate and develop 
                educational tools for use in the public schools of the 
                United States; and
                    (B) the people of the United States to observe 
                American Eagle Day with appropriate ceremonies and 
                other activities.
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