Eagle Is Only Species to Recover After Spill

More than seven years after the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, the bald eagle has been the only species among 28 to recover from the damage in the waters off Alaska, U.S. officials said. Despite the grim picture, federal and state officials said they were pleased with the progress they had made in acquiring land in Alaska to protect wildlife in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill. Five years ago, the government set up a $900-million fund for the biggest land acquisition program in the United States, with the money coming from Exxon Corp.’s $1-billion civil settlement from the spill. The money is being used to protect and restore wildlife habitats and research plant and animal life along the fouled coastline.