Stop Congress from gutting the Endangered Species Act
Last edited Mon May 18, 2015, 04:22 PM - Edit history (1)
CREDO Action
May 18, 2015
Republicans in Congress have a problem.
They badly want to get rid of the Endangered Species Act, one of the most successful conservation laws we have for protecting endangered wildlife from going extinct.
But unfortunately for them, the law works and is immensely popular with the American people.
Their solution?
Keep the law, but gut it beyond recognition and make it totally ineffective by adding burdensome new restrictions and allowing local politicians to overrule science whenever they feel like it.
Congress is considering multiple bills right now - including one from Senator Rand Paul - that would gut the Endangered Species Act and put countless species at risk for extinction.
We can't let them get away with this cynical attempt at destroying the Endangered Species Act.
Just last week, the U.S. Senate considered eight bills that would modify the Endangered Species Act, most of which aim to saddle resource-strapped federal wildlife agencies with burdensome new hurdles and requirements.
Many also include rules that would force agencies to consider shoddy science and prioritize economic considerations like dirty fossil fuel drilling over wildlife habitat protection.
But one of those bills, crafted and sponsored by presidential candidate Rand Paul, would be so devastating to our ability to protect endangered wildlife that it was described by one expert as
the "Extinction Acceleration Act."
Paul's bill would remove protections from 94% of currently listed species, including polar bears, wolves, grizzly bears and sea otters.
It would force the automatic removal of species from the endangered list after five years, whether or not those species had recovered and were deemed safe by scientists.
Worst of all, it would take the entire process of species protection out of the hands of biologists and wildlife experts, where it rests right now, and require the consent of state governors and a joint resolution of Congress.
And if an endangered species was found to reside entirely within the borders of a single state, that state's governor would have the power to overrule the protection of that species.
We need to stand up against all these attempts now before Congress guts the Endangered Species Act.
TELL CONGRESS; HANDS OFF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT!
LEAVE THIS CRUCIAL AND IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL WILDLIFE PROTECTION LAW ALONE!
To sign petition, go to:
http://act.credoaction.com/sign/Save_ESA
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