7749 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Legislative Perspectives on a Living Law 29 forts even before the Endangered Species Act was passed, no longer survive in the-wild, though captive populations of each may lead to their eventual reintroduction. Thus while the Endangered Species Act has enabled us to make great progress. in protecting many species, the problem to which it is directed remains very much with us. Each day, some- where in the world, a desperate drama of survival takes place with little notice and little fanfare, but with vital consequences for our future. Despite our efforts, the world continues to experi- ence an alarming, and accelerating, loss of its wild plant and animal species. Scientists believe that never, in all of human history, has the rate of extinction been so rapid as it is today. Human activity may be wiping out yet another species every day, whereas perhaps only one species a century disappears through natural causes. The Endangered Species Act commits us to make our very best efforts to stem these unprecedented and irreversible losses. Today, slightly more than a thousand species enjoy the nominal protection of the Endangered Species Act. Somewhat more than half of these occur in the United States and its territories; the remainder are found entirely outside U.S. borders. The number of species from within the United States that have been identi- fied as deserving the act's protection, but are not yet listed for protection, exceeds athousand-twice the number of species currently listed. Most of the species in danger of extinction will wait years, perhaps decades, before they are listed and protected under the act. In a time of deficit reduction, Congress simply has not made available the resources necessary even to list these species formally for protection, much less carry out the action necessary to ensure their survival and recovery. For species already listed, the nominal protection afforded by that listing may be all that the species receives. Recovery plans have thus far been prepared for less than half the listed species, and most of these plans are yet to be implemented. In the years since the Endangered Species Act became law, we have learned that the problem it seeks to solve is far more serious and affects far more species than previously understood. At the same time, however, we have also learned that the rea- sonsfor preventing the extinction of other species are even more compelling. The discovery, within that short period, of the prin-