Proposal To Support The Endangered Species Act (ESA)

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

According to United State Department of Justice, the plaintiffs in Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities For a Better Oregon charged that, under the Secretary’s characterization, they were powerless to develop and log on their property which was attributable to the presence of northern spotted owls and red-cockaded woodpeckers registered as threatened under the ESA. The plaintiffs challenged the regulation, contending that the characterization defied Congressional intention. (United State Department of Justice, 2015)

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

Many species vital to ensuring that today’s environment will thrive are becoming extinct. If a species is slowly dwindling, and in imminent danger of becoming nonexistent, this species is considered to be endangered. “One in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70% of the world’s assessed plants on the… IUCN Red List are in jeopardy” (IUCN, 2016). According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, upwards of 16,000 species are threatened with extinction, including both plants and animals (IUCN, 2016). Before becoming endangered, a species will show warning signs, either by starting to lose biological diversity or by losing the habitats for that species to flourish in, or in the worst case, both. The word endangered can sometimes be confused with threatened, extirpated, or extinct. Extirpated refers to the state of a species where its population has died out in a certain area or range, but other populations of said species still exist elsewhere (Olden, Julian D., 2008). When a species is considered threatened, or vulnerable, this refers to the state of the species being susceptible to endangerment and extinction (“Extinction crisis escalates”). So if a species is threatened, the first signs of endangerment come along, which are similar signs to that of a species in danger of becoming threatened, including lack of genetic diversity, or overhunting may be evident. (“Extinction crisis escalates”). When a species is labelled

Within the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helps watch over and investigate the health of different species. Then, local and national scientist collects data to determine if a species gets put on the Endangered Species list. The main factor to determine the endangerment of a species is if a large percentage of the species’ habitat has been destroyed. Next, note if the animal’s population has been excessively decreasing, threatened by disease, or any terrorized by any predators. Also, record any man-made

A world without animals is a scary thought. There are many animals that will become extinct and many that are endangered. The Endangered Species Act is a good thing because it has provided a set way in helping to protect different species. The Endangered Species Act was signed by past president Richard Nixon, and it was passed with 99% support from Congress. They wanted to protect different species no matter what. Between 40%-50% of endangered species in the U.S. have made improvement, but others are moving toward extinction. The law has helped in the rebirth of 36 species, but a similar number has disappeared. The mixed record on restoration and the impact it has on business has turned the ESA into a one-sided playing field (Male). There are ways humans contribute to species of endangerment by destroying habitats, the introduction of exotic species and hunting. Natural causes such as global warming are another factor that has contributed to species endangerment. The Endangered Species Act has helped to save animals such as the american alligator, the bald eagle, grizzly bears and many others. It is used to prohibit the hunting of these animals. The Endangered Species Act has some negative impacts so there are people who are in support of the while others are not. It could be more effectively enforced by encouraging people to minimize harm to animals and to participate in recovery projects. These recovery projects are being used to help protect endangered species. The

The public policy of the ESA had multiple issues in the case of Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter. There have been legislative issues between the ESA and Congress in regards to the inconsistency of authority (Jennings, 2010). In addition, the lack of communication between Congress and the FWA caused discrepancies on how to best protect the habitat (Jennings, 2010). The public policy also has issues on an economic standpoint due to the cost of resources on the basis to support the ESA or abolish the Act (Sahr, n.d.).

Even if the lands are protected, they are not safe from the ecological burden of protecting our borders. Due to changes in legislation the Border Patrol Agency is exempt from stringent environmental laws. This is true in any of the areas surrounding the border, and they are looking to expand the radius of exemption, to better protect our borders. The Defenders of Wildlife, the Sierra Club, and the Northern Jaguar Project are looking to reinstall a social rule which the United States already implemented with the Endangered Species Act. This legislation created the social rule that no species should be forced into extinction due to human activities. Riders on the Illegal Immigration Act and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and the Real ID act of 2005 allowed this social rule to become obsolete. Social rules changes in favor of the environment occur when the public is largely in support for saving the environment. However this support can be splintered by another need of the country especially when the opposing discourse has a crisis wave to ride. This case shows how the issue of border security triumphs environmental needs due to the pertinence of immigration reform along with the crisis impact caused by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Would you wipe the last existing members of an animal species off the face of the Earth? Perhaps, you would in order to grade a field for a mall parking lot. Believe it or not individuals and industries alike would not think twice about this inhumane act. In the early 1900’s an alarming rate of species started to become scarcely extinct. Endangered Species Act, was passed by Congress and became law in 1973. It is one of several federal laws such as the Lacey Act, the Bird Treaty Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Bald Eagle Protection Act, but it is the most important one by far (Sherry, 9). The Endangered Species Act was developed for many (change) reasons. In the mid sixties Congress started to notice that the country was rapidly(change)

Blood quantum is an inhuman way to calculate indigenous authenticity. Similar to Ellinghaus (2008), I believe blood quantum is a manufactured, artificial estimate of an individual’s Native ancestry. Sanctioned in the United States to define membership in an Alaska Native tribe, blood quantum refers to describing the degree of how much an individual is Alaska Indian, Aleut and/or Eskimo. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) issue Certificates of Indian Blood (CIB) for a person to carry that describes this degree; "the BIA sets no minimum blood quantum requirements for acknowledgement purposes, but does require proof of descent from a historic Tribe” (NEBI n.d). Blood quantum is still used today by many tribes to specify requirements for legal citizenship; but is “not required by the acknowledgement regulations” (NEBI n.d, n.p.). The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 is another way the government is deteriorating Native communities. This Act states that if you are one-quarter or higher of Alaska Indian, Aleut and/or Eskimo blood and coastal dwelling you are able to take marine mammals for subsistence or handicraft purposes.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 states that the terms ‘Endangered’ and/or ‘threatened” may be used when a species ‘is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, or are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.’The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC) was placed on the threatened species list in the spring of 2014. Since the early 1800’s the population of the LPC has ‘declined significantly’ (NRCS Leaflet 1). I am a 2nd year Pathways Rangeland Student Intern for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). I have worked in the Natural Resources field for 12 years and have come to an understanding that informing the public is vital for the continuation of the earth, as we know it. In this informative and argumentative essay I will describe how habitat loss, climatic changes (both natural and human caused), and human activities have and continue to push this species to the brink. Educating private landowners and the public is key to produce resistant plant

The federal, provincial, and territorial government signatories under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996) agreed to establish complementary legislation and programs that provide for effective protection of species at risk throughout Canada, including the Under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA), the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of management plans for listed species of special concern and are required to report on progress within five years. The Sprague’s pipit on the other hand, warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service has added the Sprague’s pipit to its list of candidate species and will review its status annually. Both these acts will

Although, some argue that the act is only successful with “2 percent”( "Endangered Species Act Has Failed." 1 )of the species on the list, the ESA has prevented “172 species” ("The Endangered Species Act and the States." 2) from becoming extinct. One example of a species that was supported by the ESA is the West Indian manatee. During the time the manatee was on the list, the population in Florida had a “500% increase”(Grinberg 2). Also, the ESA puts regulations in place to protect the candidates for the list. They use privately owned grants and programs like, “Candidate Conservation Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances” ("U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Releases 2015 List Of Candidates For Endangered Species Act Protection." 7) to conserve the candidates until they are qualified for the list.

Extinction is nothing new to animal and plant species around the earth. Over the course of time on the earth there have been five mass extinctions, with many predicting that a sixth has already begun due to human fault. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was designed to save both animal and plant life from these great feat. The ESA has seen only a 2% recovery rate since it enactment (Why is U.S. Recovery Rate (2%) for Endangered Species So Low?). Many critics and politicians have been calling for a reformation of the act for years. The ESA is in need of a change in the following areas funding distribution, time it takes to list a species on the endangered species list, and habitats on private land.

Bill Freedmen, author of “Endangered Species—Human Causes Of Extinction and Endangerment” notes, “scientists approximate that present extinction rates are 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the average natural extinction rate.” These distressing numbers should be acted upon to save the endangered species and avoid the catastrophic change to this planet if these species were to become extinct. In order to produce change, people need to recognize that habitat loss, climate change, and poaching are all factors in why our animal species are going extinct.