The hard work and efforts put in by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is now bearing the fruits of its labor.

Thursday, in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, LDWF announced that the Louisiana black bear has been removed from the endangered species list set forth by the Endangered Species Act. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and LDWF secretary Charles Melancon made the announcement at Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge.

The Louisiana black bear is a subspecies of black bear unique to Louisiana, western Mississippi and eastern Texas. It was classified as endangered in 1992 due to habitat loss, reduced quality of remaining habitat and human-related mortality.

In a press release from the LDWF, Jewell, Melancon, USFWS director Dan Ashe along with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said the decision to remove the bear off the endangered species list was a result of a combination of partnerships with private landowners, conservation groups, universities and other federal agencies for the last 24 years.

“The resurrection of this iconic symbol of our nation and Louisiana shows the value of science and collaborative research,” Edwards said.

“I want to commend our department staff for the tireless work they put in to make this become reality,” Melancon said. “It’s another success story for LDWF with recovery species. The Louisiana black bear joins a distinguished recovery list, which includes the American alligator, the bald eagle and the brown pelican.”

Partners for the protection of the black bear included the LDWF, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Tennessee, USFWS and the Black Bear Conservation Coalition.

In the past two decades, partners researched the status of existing populations, established additional subpopulations. They protected and restored more than 750,000 acres of habitat.

“Our partners have been incredible and our employees that dedicated much of their life’s work to this recover have been equally incredible,” Ashe said.

LDWF’s press release stated the USFWS published a proposed delisting of the bear in May 2015 after recovery criteria was met and threats to the bear were reduced or eliminated so the bear would not become threatened with extinction now or within the foreseeable future.

The Endangered Species Act of 1992 states that delisted animals require monitoring for a minimum of five years, however, the bear must be monitored for seven. A post-delisting monitoring plan from the LDWF and the USFWS will ensure the population continues to grow into the future.

“It’s gratifying to see the work put in by so many talented people at the LDWF and our conservation partners pay off,” Randy Myers, assistant secretary for Wildlife at LDWF said. “Part of the reason for this success story has been making sure habitat for not only the black bear but other species has flourished in Louisiana. We’ve seen that happen.”