Before the Endangered Species Act was even signed into law, the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel was considered endangered, but not as of next month.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced the removal of the fox squirrel from the Endangered Species list and is "no longer at risk of extinction."

According to Discovery News, the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel was an original member of the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1967, which preceded the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Only 77 other species were included in the first bill.

"The fox squirrel's return to this area, rich with farmland and forest, marks not only a major win for conservationists and landowners, but also represents the latest in a string of success stories that demonstrate the Endangered Species Act's effectiveness," Michael Bean, the Department of the Interior's principal deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, said in the news release. "The Act provides flexibility and incentives to build partnerships with states and private landowners to help recover species while supporting local economic activity. I applaud the states of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, and the many partners who came together over the years to make this day possible."

The FWS revealed in Sept. that the fox squirrel was on the verge of coming off the endangered list, and represented an example of why the Endangered Species Act is in place.

"The Delmarva fox squirrel is a perfect example of how the Endangered Species Act works not only to pull plants and animals back from the brink of extinction but can also provide flexibility to states and private landowners to help with recovery efforts while at the same time supporting important economic activity," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said at the time. "This success story is the result of a partnership with several state wildlife agencies, conservation groups, landowners and countless other stakeholders working hand in hand with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to protect the Delmarva fox squirrel. This is a model for how the Act is designed to work."