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Stop Congress from gutting the Endangered Species Act!
Target: U.S. RepresentativesSponsored by: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was one of the first species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Long feared extinct, the bird clung to life in habitat protected in hopes of its recovery, and just last month the conservation community was rewarded with confirmed evidence of the bird's survival in the forested swamps of Arkansas.
But a new bill introduced by Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) - the misnamed Critical Habitat Enhancement Act of 2005 - would eliminate crucial protections for habitat that endangered species like the ivory-billed woodpecker need to both survive and recover.
The Cardoza bill abandons a fundamental goal of the Endangered Species Act - recovery of endangered species. Under this bill, we would lose the very protections that brought both the bald eagle and the Peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction, and that allowed us to never lose hope for the Ivory-billed woodpecker.
Critical habitat is just that - it is habitat that is essential to both the survival and recovery of an endangered species. But the Cardoza bill aims to gut the meaning and definition of critical habitat. If we can no longer protect critical habitat, then we can no longer protect species themselves. By stripping wildlife habitat of critical protection, the Cardoza bill is essentially leaving our wildlife homeless, and dooming our most imperiled species to extinction.
Take action today - tell Congress to protect the Endangered Species Act! Sign this petition to send a letter to your Representative, and urge her/him to vote NO on H.R. 1299.
But a new bill introduced by Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) - the misnamed Critical Habitat Enhancement Act of 2005 - would eliminate crucial protections for habitat that endangered species like the ivory-billed woodpecker need to both survive and recover.
The Cardoza bill abandons a fundamental goal of the Endangered Species Act - recovery of endangered species. Under this bill, we would lose the very protections that brought both the bald eagle and the Peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction, and that allowed us to never lose hope for the Ivory-billed woodpecker.
Critical habitat is just that - it is habitat that is essential to both the survival and recovery of an endangered species. But the Cardoza bill aims to gut the meaning and definition of critical habitat. If we can no longer protect critical habitat, then we can no longer protect species themselves. By stripping wildlife habitat of critical protection, the Cardoza bill is essentially leaving our wildlife homeless, and dooming our most imperiled species to extinction.
Take action today - tell Congress to protect the Endangered Species Act! Sign this petition to send a letter to your Representative, and urge her/him to vote NO on H.R. 1299.
Sign Petition! see who signed this
We signed the “Stop Congress from gutting the Endangered Species Act!” petition!
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# 49:
In one generation, for the sake of temporary economic gain, we will prevent 100's of species from ever walking the planet again? My family values call for a sustainable environment for my grandchildren!
# 48:
The Endangered Specis Act has worked. Please do NOT weaken it.
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We live hard & play hard in the good ol' USA...if the wilderness is gone, where will we play? We need those gorgeous wide-open spaces to refresh ourselves & renew our spirits. Please stop any action against protected endangered species habitat! This one breaks my heart...it took so much struggle to keep the Ivory-billed Woodpecker from going the way of the dodo...please don't screw it up now! Thanks for listening!
# 45:
Please government, keep your focus on people of the US. Leave the animals, birds and fish alone. They are the voiceless and need our protection.
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We absolutely must protect ALL endangered species. We would be the loser if any single one was lost.
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Americans value our land, plants, animals - all protected by the essential Endangered Species Act. Please STRENGTHEN, not weaken this legislation!
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We finally have the chance to right the situation regarding T&E species and then this ridiculous loophole is proposed. It's time to take action now, not when it is too late.
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Only a gutless politician would let this important piece of legislation be gutted.
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I am adamantly opposed to legislation such as the Cardoza bill which undermines important protection of habitat for endangered species.
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It may not be perfect, but it has worked and is far more effective and preferred to allowing big business make environmental and scientific related decisions and policies.
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Please act responsibility.
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The endangered specias act has worked. It is still needed. Please do nothing that weakens it!!!
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what is wrong with those people, all i have to say is that anyone 'for' gutting the E.S. Act will get theirs through karma
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WE HAVE MAN MADE WORKS OF ART, DISPLAYED IN MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD, PROTECTED BY BARRIERS, ALARMS, AND ARMED GUARDS...YET WE DONT PROTECT THE GIFTS NATURE BESTOWS ON US. ITS TIME TO GET OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!!!
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All animals are vital to us! Let's not break the circle of life.
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Please preserve the endangered species act. We need to do all that we can to protect our delicate ecosystem.
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By weakening the Endangered Species Act more endangered animals have the risk of becoming fully extinct. Let's stop being selfish humans and think about the other species we share our planet with.
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# 1:
The Endangered Species Act exists to both save species from extinction and help them recover to the point where they are no longer in need of special protection. Our endangered species are invaluable and irreplaceable, and we should not be weakening species protections as biodiversity losses continue to mount. Please protect the ESA!