Rare Species Law In Peril

Landmark us act that protects endangered wildlife could be weakened or repealed by lawmakers.

It came too late for the passenger pigeon, but the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) did help to save iconic American species such as the bald eagle and facilitate the reintroduction of grey wolves to many of the ‘Lower 48’ states.

But now conservationists fear the act itself is under threat – from politicians who say it’s a barrier to economic progress in, for instance, oil exploration and mineral development.

According to Steve Holmer, of the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the House (of Representatives) Committee on Natural Resources is leading the charge against the ESA.

Holmer fears the committee could introduce a bill to repeal the act. But even if such a bill were passed, he says it would still need the support of the Senate, which is not guaranteed.

According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), more than 1,600 US species (the ESA can also list foreign species) are listed as Threatened or Endangered.

And research by the ABC has found that 42 per cent of bird species have increased in number since listing, while 16 per cent are stable. “It’s extremely effective in its primary task of preventing extinctions,” Holmer said.

But the Committee on Natural Resources website states: "[The ESA] is failing in its primary purpose of species recovery and instead has become a tool for litigation. There are key areas where improvements could be made to make the law more effective for both species and people in the 21st century.”