When America adopted the bald eagle as the national symbol in 1782, the country may have had as many as 100,000 nesting eagles. Soon after, this species began to decline in population due to loss of habitat and outright persecution through poisoning and poaching. Many believed they were a threat to livestock as well as a competitor for game.
In 1940, noticing that the species was "threatened with extinction," Congress passed the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which prohibited killing, selling and possessing the species.
https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/bald-eagles-of-lake-tahoe-a-story-of-triumph/
Citing evidence of a bird hardly anyone ever sees and dealing with permit paperwork they see all too much of, officials supervising the cleanup of the Whittaker-Bermite site said their year-end cleanup target date has now been pushed into 2019.
https://signalscv.com/2019/01/rare-bird-permits-delay-whittaker-cleanup/
It may be hard to imagine that a 4-pound bird could be responsible for igniting a grass fire or causing a power outage to hundreds of customers.
https://kernvalleysun.com/living-on-a-high-wire-to-stay-or-relocate/