The ivory-billed woodpecker once ranged from Texas to Florida in the southern United States, and as far north as Maryland. They originally could be found in many old growth pine forests. Many Native American tribes traded the ivory colored bills as decorations, with some being found as far north as Iowa & Colorado. As America expanded westward, many old growth forests were cleared for farms and for timber. This destruction of forests moved the remaining ivory-billed woodpeckers into the old growth forests of the southern swamps. Besides the loss of habitat, the ivory-billed woodpeckers' feathers were used as a late 1800's fashion statement. Some pioneers ate the ivory-bill as well. By the late 1800's, the ivory-bill population was on a steep decline. During WWI & WWII more forests were cleared to support the war effort. Many scientists believed the ivory-billed woodpecker was extinct by 1920, until there was a confirmed sighting in 1924 in Florida. The next confirmed specimen was killed by Louisiana state representative, Mason Spencer in 1932. A team of scientists studied 20-24 ivory-billed woodpeckers in the Singer Tract of land in Louisiana. The National Audubon Society tried to buy the land from the logging company, but their offer was rejected and the forest was cleared. The last confirmed sighting was in April of 1944 as the clearing of the Singer Tract of forest was almost near completion. The United States Fish & Wildlife Service declared the ivory-billed woodpecker "endangered" on March 11, 1967 over 20 years after its last sighting. In 2004, Gene Sparling reported seeing an ivory-billed woodpecker in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas. This was huge news as the "Holy Grail Bird" had apparently been rediscovered. The excitement grew when top ornithologists, Tim Gallagher and Bobby Harrison, went to investigate and reported they saw an ivory-billed woodpecker as well, although they lacked clear photographic evidence. Since then many people and organized teams have searched the swamps of Arkansas, with many reported encounters but no clear proof. In September of 2021 the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the ivory-billed woodpecker (and 22 other species) extinct. See the full article under the "Extinct Species" tab. Could the ivory-billed woodpecker live in the American Northeast today? Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The ivory-billed woodpecker would be a great candidate for this. Scientists would potentially use DNA from the hundreds of museum specimens to use to try to bring them back to life. Great strides have been made to preserve wildlife and restore habitats since the ivory-billed woodpecker’s extinction in 1944. The Cache River National Wildlife Refuge has been protected for a long time and the habitat continues to bounce back. The locals of Brinkley, Arkansas celebrate the potential sightings of the ivory-billed woodpecker. The laws to protect the woodpecker and its habitat will need to be balanced with the hunting laws of the area, so the locals can fully support protection efforts. If the ivory-billed woodpecker was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland swamps in the American Southeast?