Protect the Law that Protects Endangered Species

Honor Earth Day and Earth Month by telling Congress you value native wildlife, and want to see all endangered species protected.

The Endangered Species Act has protected 227 species from extinction and is currently protecting many more.

In the current extinction crisis, we need this law more than ever. With your support, the Act will remain our strongest environmental law and we will continue to hold the line against extinction.

Photo Credit: WildEarth Guardians

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Dear [Decision Maker],

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In honor of Earth Day and Earth Month, I am writing to ask you to be a champion for wildlife and protect the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The American public recognizes the value of the ESA and supports species protection and recovery. Polls from 1999 and 2011 both found that 84 percent of the public, across both political parties, support the ESA and it is a safety net providing balanced solutions to save wildlife and plants at risk of extinction.

This bedrock environmental law was passed nearly unanimously with broad bipartisan support in 1972, and since then has been wildly successful at doing what it is supposed to do: prevent extinction. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), only nine of the approximately 1,400 domestic species ever added to the threatened and endangered species list have been declared extinct. Seven of these were most likely extinct before they received the Act's protections. That's an over 99 percent success rate in preventing extinction. Additionally, research shows that as of 2006, the ESA had prevented the extinction of at least 227 species. This is an incredible track record.

Opponents claim that protecting threatened and endangered species is costly, both publicly and to private enterprise. However, Federal appropriations for protecting threatened and endangered species are a just a sliver of the federal budget. Certainly protecting endangered species for moral, ethical, environmental, cultural, economic, medicinal, and religious purposes is worth this small expenditure. Neither preventing extinction nor preserving our beloved public lands, waters and air should be partisan. Healthy, vibrant ecosystems benefit us all. 
 
The effects of species listings on private landowners and public land users are minimal. Portrayed by opponents as a rigid and draconian law that prevents land use and development, the ESA is actually one of the nation's most flexible laws. It offers a variety of tools and incentives for private landowners to participate in species conservation. Of all the projects reviewed under ESA section 7 requirements between and 2008 and 2015, not one was halted.

In summary, preventing extinction is a moral imperative and an intelligent investment in our future. Making room for all species alongside ourselves will lead to a healthier environment, which is good for all species  including humans. Please vote no on any and all bills, riders, and amendments that undermine the Endangered Species Act.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]