As the population declined significantly in the early 1800s and into the 1900s, concern grew across the South that the American alligator might be threatened with extinction. Conservation groups list the species as endangered and pushed for legal protection, which in turn stimulated research and management and led to increased, stable populations. Today, the species is recognized as an economically valuable resource; captive farming and ranch production yield annual harvests valued at millions of dollars. Thanks to these efforts, the American alligator, abused for more than a century, has been restored.