US proposes removing wood stork from endangered species list

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The ungainly yet graceful wood stork, which was on the brink of extinction in 1984, has recovered sufficiently in Florida and other Southern states that U.S. wildlife officials proposes removal of the wading bird from the endangered species list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a news release Tuesday that restoration of the wood stork’s habitat, especially in the Florida Everglades and adjacent Big Cypress National Preserve, led to a sharp increase in breeding pairs. Those numbers had shrunk to just 5,000 pairs in 1984. Today, there are more than 10,000 pairs. The service will take comment through April 17 before making delisting final.