The red-cockaded woodpecker’s population had dwindled to around 1,470 clusters when federal officials decided to classify the bird as endangered back in 1970. But decades of efforts to preserve the species’ habitats have substantially increased the bird’s numbers. The repopulation effort was so successful, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that late last month the federal government changed the status of the bird from endangered to threatened. Some environmental groups, however, are worried that the federal government’s decision might be premature. …The rare birds have lost habitat to increasing hurricanes and tropical storms sparked by climate change, human encroachment and too few older trees. …Tim Lowrimore, president and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Association, sees the status change as worthy of praise. It’s an example of what can happen when forest landowners are dedicated to wildlife conservation and land management, he said.