Ask the Incoming Obama Administration to Commit to Strong Protections for Endangered Species!

Strengthen Endangered Species Programs!

Dear President-Elect Obama:

Endangered and threatened species have never been more imperiled than they are today. One in two mammals on Earth is in decline and at least one in four is threatened with extinction.  This sad news highlights the importance of the Endangered Species Act – passed 35 years ago with bipartisan support.

For more than three decades, the Endangered Species Act has faithfully and successfully served as one of our nation’s landmark wildlife protection laws, providing a safety net for the wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction.  More than 85 percent of American voters support a strong Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, the current administration has dismissed public sentiment and significantly weakened endangered species programs.

Looking ahead to 2009, your administration has the opportunity to not only repair all of the damage done to endangered species programs, but to also take endangered species programs a step further in protecting America’s wildlife.

Nearly every provision of the Endangered Species Act and its programs needs to be strengthened.  It is imperative that your administration strengthen protections for endangered species in the following ways: 1) overturn the Bush administration legacy that decimated protections for endangered wildlife and their wild lands, 2) extend the Act’s safety net to all species in need, 3) strengthen habitat protections, 4) address global warming impacts, and 5) provide adequate funding.
<b>
Overturn Bush Administration Policies</b>
Under Bush&rsquo;s Department of Interior we have seen ethical failures, corruption, and a shocking abuse of science. The enforcement and implementation of the Endangered Species Act have suffered tremendously as the Bush administration advanced policies and regulations that stripped wildlife of protections.&nbsp; It is now up to your administration to root out corruption, restore scientific integrity, and overturn recent policies and regulations that greatly undermine the protection and recovery of threatened and endangered species. Specifically, the recent proposed regulation, Interagency Cooperation Under the Endangered Species Act must be revoked. If implemented, it would reduce habitat protections for species on public lands, restrict biologists from addressing global warming impacts on species and remove essential checks and balances currently in place.

<b>Extend the Act&rsquo;s Safety Net to All Species in Need</b>
When a species begins to verge close to the edge of extinction, its inclusion on the endangered species list is quite literally its savior.&nbsp; The Obama administration must improve procedures to &ldquo;list&rdquo; and &ldquo;de-list&rdquo; a species to ensure that these decisions are timely and based on the best available science.&nbsp; Even species identified by scientists as needing protections may languish on the &ldquo;candidate list&rdquo; for years, before a decision is made about whether or not to list the species.&nbsp; Therefore, your administration must set an aggressive timeline, of not more than five years, for determining whether these species should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
<b>
Strengthen Habitat Protections</b>
As famed scientist E.O. Wilson states, &ldquo;The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.&rdquo;&nbsp; Your administration must strengthen habitat protections that have been eliminated in the past eight years. Decisions must protect not only current habitat, but they must allow a species to expand its habitat to safeguard against extinction. These habitat decisions must be made based on the best available science.&nbsp; Furthermore, administrative and legislative efforts designed to engage landholders more deeply in protecting species habitats should be advanced.
<b>
Consider Global Warming Impacts</b>
Given that threatened and endangered species are amongst the most vulnerable to global warming, consideration must be made as to how best to use the Endangered Species Act and other tools to help them adapt to the changing climate and to mitigate, or reduce, the factors that drive climate change. Your administration has the opportunity to put into place the resources required to make the best decisions for wildlife that are or will be affected by climate change. Creating a Science Advisory Board, implementing a Climate Change and Natural Resource Science Center, developing a National Adaptation Strategy, and setting up Regional Ecological Symposia will put your administration in the best position possible to inform policy decisions on wildlife and climate change.

<b>Provide Adequate Funding</b>
The Obama administration must request increased funding in its budget for endangered species programs to be effectively implemented. These programs have been chronically under-funded. For instance, in 2005, Congress gave the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a mere $143 million to implement the Endangered Species Act&mdash;the same cost as approximately 7 miles of a four-lane federal highway. Funding programs in full will provide adequate staffing to administer, implement and enforce the provisions of the Endangered Species Act.

After more than 30 years, a number of species are still with us today because of the protections, afforded by the Endangered Species Act, including the American alligator, American bald eagle, black-footed ferret, California condor, grizzly bear, Mexican wolf, Red-cockaded woodpecker, distinct populations of salmon, and many others. But, endangered species protections aren&rsquo;t just about protecting wildlife and their habitat.&nbsp; They are equally important for humans too.&nbsp; Protecting diverse plants, wildlife and fish and their habitats provide us with priceless benefits&mdash;from supplying lifesaving drugs to maintaining natural ecosystems for flood protection, drinking water, recreation and eco-tourism.

We urge your administration to strengthen endangered species programs via an agency-wide funding initiative and other appropriate measures outlined in this letter. Our nation&rsquo;s wildlife is our unique natural heritage, one that deserves strong protections rooted in sound science.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Your name]