Maryland wildlife officials are proposing the removal of the bald eagle from the state's threatened species list.
It's yet another step up for our national bird, which was once also on the endangered list in the Old Line State.
The majestic national symbol is listed along with nearly 30 species of plants and animals in proposed changes to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' threatened and endangered species list. The changes include adding 16 species, revising the status of four others and removing eight.
The DNR is also proposing that the Bridle Shiner, a small fish, be listed as extirpated, or no longer found, in Maryland. And insects, including the Elfin Skimmer, Appalachian Snaketail and the Treetop Emerald, be placed on the endangered species list.
The federal government removed the bald eagle from its list of threatened species in 2007.
More than 2,000 bald eagles can be found in Maryland year round, mostly along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
