It was only a few decades ago that the bald eagle, which has long been an American icon, was on the brink of extinction. Its comeback is largely credited to the Endangered Species Act , a 1973 law that established protections for threatened species—including the bald eagle. “The bald eagle has been a poster child for the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act,” says Bill Bowerman, professor of wildlife ecology and toxicology at the University of Maryland. Advertisement Advertisement It was