Endangered Species Act Research Paper

Fish and Wildlife Director, Department of Interior, Secretary Bruce Babbitt 's interpretation of the ESA and his characterization of the word “harm”.

Not many people understand the seriousness of endangered species. Some sources go as far as trying to prove that the act does more harm than good. They do not realize how drastically their lives can be changed if one part of the food chain is taken away. In the essay “Why the Beaver Should Thank the Wolf” by Mary Hannibal, the essayist explains that a group of environmental nonprofits would challenge the federal government’s removal of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Wyoming. Hannibal does not explain the Endangered Species Act, but according to the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration it “provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of

Since earth was created, there has been a natural phenomenon of species across the globe appearing and disappearing. However, in the past century, many species of animals have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Mainly, this rapidly occurring issue is caused by humans. Humans that contribute to the harmful actions that cause side effects such a pollution, deforestation, habitat loss and poaching. The natural rate of extinction pales in comparison to the extinction rate caused by all of these. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the current rate of extinction is 11,000 times greater than the natural extinction rate. Several different efforts have been made in order to stop or slow down the extinction of earth’s species. The Endangered Species Act is possibly the most successful example of these efforts. It’s main purpose is to get a commitment from the American people that they will work hand in hand to help save species that are at risk of becoming extinct and never returning. This act was put in place in 1973 and since then, no other law about the disappearance of wildlife has been quite as accomplished. Many different species that are protected under this law are either fully recovered or on their way to becoming safer. Laws like these are helping many different creatures left and right, however, at the alarming rate that they are disappearing, something else needs to be done. What people don’t seem to realize is that we depend on many of the animals that we are

In 1981, Congress passed the Lacey Act, which defends plants and wildlife by producing civil and criminal consequences to those who steal, acquire, export, or sell wildlife. The Department of Agriculture, along with other departments, directed this act to help preserve animals in their natural habitat. It states it is unlawful and inhumane to acquire non-domesticated animals as house hold pets or any form of exploitation. In violation of this act,

This 1973 act reenforced the past laws by allocating land that would be conserved for wildlife and fish. This law required that a list be published of the endangered species, so that people would know the animals are off limits. Representatives from eighty nations gathered together in Washington, D.C. to sign this treaty, that prohibited international trade of endangered species. While signing the act, President Richard Nixon declared, "Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed” (Bradford, page 1). This was a humongous step in the preservation of wildlife and the fate of the wilderness is constantly improving, because people are prevented from killing endangered species due to this law. Data on the effects of the Endangered Species Act shows that every species that has been put on the list of endangered animals is still around today, so obviously this law has had an incredible impact on the wildlife in

This act ensured the safety of animals by enforcing all companies to have licenses for their "practices". The animal that was put on that list are dogs, cats, hamsters, monkeys,

The Endangered Species Act is designed to prevent the extinction of the wolf and to manage the growth of the population now and in the future. Once the wolf population has recovered, it is up to us and the states to manage the recovery of the animals. It is up to everyone to protect the wolf and continue to manage the population for future generations.

The Endangered Species Act was signed by President Richard Nixon and approved by the 93rd Congress on December 28, 1973. The overall purpose of the act is for the federal government to protect and recover species that are in jeopardy and the ecosystems upon which they depend on to survive and reproduce successfully. Protecting the 2,245 species that are either endangered or threatened and preventing future possible species from becoming endangered are the two main goals of the Endangered Species Act. Equally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service administrate and enforce the Act so that the

It is up for debate as to whether the ESA is effective as is, or should be modified. Some believe that it has not been very effective since only 1% of species listed have been delisted. I am thankful that we have the ESA in place even if fewer species than expected have been saved. Without it, none would have been saved and far more would have gone extinct. Even though the ESA focuses on endangered species and their habitats, there are countless other species (endangered or not) that have been protected by

The penalties involved in violation of these laws include fines up to 100,000 dollars and one year in prison. Organizational violations include 200,000 dollar fines and confiscation of all equipment used (WWW site, ESA). Since its induction, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has entered 967 species on its list and has 421 more labeled as possible candidates and 4,000 others as (species of concern (WWW site, What is..). Over the years, only 22 species have been removed with a third of them becoming extinct regardless, a third recovering fully, and a third put on mistakably (WWW site, What is..). In terms of the taking aspect of the law is where the controversy begins. The Takings Clause of the fifth amendment states, nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation (Pendley, 1995). This means that any endangered species on an owner's private land must be compensated for. Regrettably, the ESA of 1973 fell short of its high expectations and has completely failed up to this point from a multitude of discovered flaws in the authorization of the law from the start.

Most people are familiar with the Endangered Species List which is a document that shows various fish, birds, mammals, and other creatures that are in danger of extermination from the face of the Earth. The lists served the purpose of ensuring that the government would do whatever was necessary to stop this from happening. When the Endangered Species Act was first envisioned, the idea was that creating a piece of federal legislation to prevent the killing of animals that had a severely decreased population would help to revitalize that species and prevent the animal's extinction. What started out as a grassroots campaign from concerned environmentalists and nature conservationists became a subject for political discourse and debate. In the Act of 1973, the policy outlined was that provisions would be made for listing species, as well as for recovery plans and designation of critical habitats would be founded for these species (Endangered 1973). It is somewhat fitting that a topic of such controversy would be put into law by a controversial Commander and Chief. President Richard Millhouse Nixon signed the Endangered Species legislation officially into law on the 28th day of December, 1973. Although the Act itself only came to the foreground of political attention during this era and the decade before it, attempts had been made to create similar types of legislation for nearly a century before that.

The Endangered Species Act was enacted by Congress in 1973. According to Reference 1, this act requires the federal government to protect endangered species, threatening species, and their critical habits. Animals are protected from being harmed, sold, or traded and plants are protected if they are on federal property. The conservation success of this act is very important because it saves wildlife and plants from going extinct. Many people do not realize that the loss of a species can be disastrous for our ecosystem. Reference 1 lists six success stories of endangered species under the act. The success stories are of the bald eagle, florida panther, gray wolf, grizzly bear, peregrine falcon, and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The Endangered

Save the Bald Eagles! Save the whales! Save the Mountain Lions! Such were the environmentalists rallying cries that brought about the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Although, the first official endangered species legislation was a 1966 bill that called for saving U.S. wildlife, but lacked the powers to do so. The Endangered Species Act(ESA) of 1973 set forth the basic rules that apply in the U.S. today. Two agencies, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, are responsible for reviewing the status of species in trouble to see if they warrant listing as either threatened or endangered. The decision is to be based solely on scientific data rather than social factors, such

The bald eagle is the most well known endangered species because it is the nation's symbol. It is suppose to stand for freedom and the American way, but if we allow the bald eagle to become extinct how can we let something that doesn't exist anymore stand for freedom and the American way. Being the symbol of the nation, the bald eagle was put on the endangered species list faster than most species. When the bald eagle reached its low point in the 1960's (400 pairs), it was put on the endangered species list. The many federal acts or programs, the "Endangered Species Act" being the most effective, that were created for the bald eagle show how much the government cares about the symbol of our

Species that are considered to be near extinction throughout either a portion or all of it habit range are considered endangered. Species that are considered to become endangered in the future throughout a portion or all of it habitat range are considered threatened. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service share the task of administering the ESA. Species that live in marine environments fall under the National Marine Fisheries Service and species that live on land environment fall under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The importation and exportation of endangered species is overseen by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (How does a species get listed as an endangered or threatened species?) Other key aspects of the act included funding for the land acquisition, prohibited federals agencies from actions that would jeopardize listed species and their habitats, and prohibited the taking of endangered species and special regulation for threatened species in regards to taking. (A History of the Endangered Species Act of