Vermont delists bald eagle

Vermont has removed the bald eagle from its list of threatened and endangered species. Until 2008, when a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) pair was documented raising its offspring along the Connecticut River, Vermont was the only state without breeding eagles. Last year, biologists counted 44 pairs in the state.

“The bald eagle’s de-listing is a milestone for Vermont,” state Wildlife Division Director Mark Scott in a statement. “This reflects more than a decade of dedicated work by Vermont Fish & Wildlife and partners.”

Vermont released 29 eagles as part of a reintroduction program the state conducted between 2004 and 2006.

Vermont officials also delisted the short-styled snakeroot, a flowering plant of dry woodland habitats. Two invertebrates—the American bumblebee (Bombus pensylvanicus) and a species of freshwater mussel known as the brook floater (Alasmidonta varicose)—were listed as endangered, alongside two plant species. The eastern meadowlark was listed (Sturnella magna) as threatened.

Three landscapes were designated as critical habitats essential for threatened or endangered species in Vermont.

Read more from the Associated Press.