Should the Endangered Species Act Be Strengthened? Essay Example

the ESA currently extends to over 1,250 species, and most of them have completely recovered, partly recovered, had their habitat protected, or had their populations stabilized or increased as a result. As important, millions of acres of forests, beaches, and wetlands—those species’ essential habitats—have been protected from degradation and development.

The ESA works, with citizen involvement, to preserve not only large and charismatic species—grizzly bears and bald eagles— but those that are small, equally unique, and beautiful, such as southwestern willow flycatchers and small whorled pogonias. The far-sighted vision of the Endangered Species Act is that all these species will not merely survive in the sterile confines of zoos but thrive in the natural, wild environments where they evolved over millions of years.Because it preserves plants, animals, and the ecosystems they depend on, the ESA is perhaps the most powerful and most significant environmental legislation ever passed in the United States. In some ways, it has also been the most successful, despite the fact that its potential has not even been tapped due to decades of intransigence. Despite attacks from right-wing think tanks, some members of Congress, extractive industry spokespeople, and Rush Limbaugh, more than three quarters of Americans support a strong Endangered Species Act.The Endangered Species Act is the United States’ best tool for reducing the rate of extinction.

There are practical, moral, and selfish reasons why this must be done. December 28, 2003, marks the thirty fifth anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. It is time to renew our commitment to this landmark conservation law as new scientific understanding of the threats to species provides even more compelling reasons to preserve the rich biodiversity

that remains in the United States.