Half a century ago, public ridicule was being heaped upon an inoffensive fish, the snail darter.
This little fresh-water swimmer was listed as endangered under the brand-new U.S. Endangered Species Act, signed into law in May 1973 by President Nixon.
Because of its tentative status, construction had to stop on a dam being constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority. And because of this, advocates of build-at-any-cost whipped up opposition to protecting such endangered species.
However, the snail darter had its day. Americans found out that the new law had teeth.
In the meantime, various authorities worked out a solution, transplanting the snail darter population from the habitat that the dam would change into another river where it also lived. Its status improved, from endangered, to threatened, and in 2022, delisted due to recovery.
Closer to home, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is celebrating recovery of the bald eagle.
“The national bird since 1782, this majestic sp...