The Endangered Species Act is struggling to protect America's wildlife. Hundreds of species are currently in the pipeline for listing decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and as industries expand and climate catastrophe looms, that number will likely grow — culminating in an extinction crisis.
Among the animals at risk is the greater sage-grouse, an iconic rangeland bird that has declined in number over the past century as booming oil, gas, and other development has encroached on its sagebrush habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) can implement programs to help save this bird — if they survive congressional attacks. That's where you come in.
Take action and tell President Obama to veto congressional attempts to block species protection.
Dear President Obama,
As conflict heats up over the greater sage-grouse, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are being challenged like never before. Some in Congress are pushing repeated legislative attempts to block protections for species with riders prohibiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's ability to carry out the ESA.
These tactics will only make the already dire situation worse, while also upsetting the majority of American voters (90 percent of whom support the Endangered Species Act and do not support congressional delisting efforts). The ESA riders put forth by Congress in spending bills for the coming fiscal year upend much-needed conservation efforts, including innovative mitigation approaches such as habitat exchanges that could help resolve species conflicts and bring species back from the brink of collapse.
Hundreds of species are currently in the pipeline for listing decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and as industries continue to expand and climate change increases the frequency of catastrophic fires and other extreme weather events, this problem will only get worse.
[Your comments here]
Please help us fight it. Please veto any legislative threats to species protection.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
