Endangered Species Act at Risk of Extinction

Posted: 26-Oct-2005; Updated: 07-May-2007

• Print
• Send to friend
• +

The grizzly bear is just one species among about 1,285 that has survived thanks to the Endangered Species Act.

The fight to save America's endangered species now depends on the Senate.

In late September, the U.S. House of Representatives hastily passed a bill that would cripple the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the safety net that has brought the bald eagle, the grey wolf and other rare species back from the brink of extinction.

"We knew there was a good chance this bad legislation would pass the House. Our focus is now on the Senate, where we hope to find more reasonable and responsible solutions to address species protection," says Michael Bean, chair of Environmental Defense's Wildlife program and an expert on species law.

The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) and rushed to a vote ten days later, would complicate both listing new species and implementing recovery plans for wildlife already on the list. It would also squander tax money to pay off developers who make hypothetical claims that they might be hurt by species protections. Put simply, this bill is the wrong approach -- and the losers are the nation’s bald eagles, ocelots, grizzly bears, ivory-billed woodpeckers and other imperiled species.

The Senate can act more responsibly and show that conservation and development need not be at odds. The ESA is critical to the recovery of imperiled wildlife -- and across America editorial boards and citizens are clamoring to keep the landmark law intact. (See sidebar.) The Senate must act responsibly in looking at improving the ESA, by building on its successes not adding reams of bureaucratic red tape. History shows it has come to the aid of rare plants and animals before.

The Senate has rescued the Endangered Species Act in the past

In 1978, the Supreme Court halted construction of a pork-barrel dam project in Tennessee because it would harm endangered fish. Angry members of the House passed a bevy of crippling amendments to the ESA by a vote of 384 to 12.  The Senate insisted on a focused effort to fix the few problems that really existed and rejected virtually everything the House had done. The ESA, the nation's landmark species protection law, emerged largely unscathed.

Because the Senate stood strong, whooping crane numbers have increased ten-fold, California condors soar in the Grand Canyon, wolves roam in Yellowstone and black-footed ferrets populate the Great Plains. Bald eagles have increased from a few hundred pairs to over 8,000 pairs in the continental United States. If successes such as these are to continue, the Senate must again reject the hasty overreaching of the House. 

House bill ignores successes  

Opponents of the ESA claim it fails to help species -- claims not supported by facts. When President Nixon signed the ESA into law in 1973, the government understood that severely depleted species cannot recover overnight. It requires sustained efforts over prolonged periods. The whooping crane, one of the best-known endangered creatures then and now, shows that time is needed for recovery.

The whooping crane's population hit rock bottom in 1941 with only 15 birds. Between 1941 and 1973 concerted conservation efforts involving U.S. and Canadian cooperation, state and federal governments, captive breeding, a breeding-ground refuge in Texas and a sustained advocacy campaign by the National Audubon Society helped boost its population to 48. Since the passage of the ESA in 1973, the whooping crane population has grown nearly tenfold, to 468 birds.

In 1973, those in Congress familiar with the crane's story understood that ensuring the bird’s future would require more decades of sustained effort. The dramatic recovery since the ESA took effect demonstrates its effectiveness and the need for sustained efforts. Though still endangered, the ESA is helping it survive so it can eventually thrive. (Read about other species whose restoration is an ongoing success. [PDF])

What You Can Do

• Tell your senators to take a stand - America's bald eagles, grizzly bears, sea otters, and thousands of other animals and plants need your help.
• Donate online to help save endangered species.
• Email this page to a friend - Spread the word to family and friends that rare wildlife is threatened.

Find Out More

• The story of the American bald eagle's remarkable recovery shows how the Endangered Species Act is effective and why the House bill puts species in peril.
• The history, details and successes of our nation's landmark wildlife law -  The Endangered Species Act: A backgrounder
• Ways to improve the Endangered Species Act [PDF] - "Building on Success": a white paper setting forth an agenda for improving the effectiveness of this powerful law.