MESA, AZ — U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced Wednesday that the Apache cutthroat trout — Arizona’s state fish — has been removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species after more than five decades of efforts to rebuild its population.

Haaland traveled to Arizona to announce the news. It is a major conservation success, marking the removal of the first sportfish species and the first trout from the list.

“This restoration is a testament to the importance of the Endangered Species Act and the tools and resources it provides that allow the Department of the Interior and the federal government to protect critical species in every corner of America,” Haaland said.

She credited the combined efforts of federal, state and tribal officials, as well as $5.1 million from the Biden administration’s Investing in America program. Haaland was joined by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, White Mountain Apache Tribe Chairman Kasey Velasquez and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Siva Sundaresan.

The Apache trout is found only in the streams of eastern Arizona in the White Mountains. It is one of two species of trout native to the state and is sacred to the Apache tribe of the White Mountains.

The fish gained protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 due to habitat loss and the introduction of non-native species. It was then moved to the Threatened Species List in 1975.