|
<br />O")-~G
<br />v...ut"i
<br />
<br />THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
<br />Two Decades of Conserving Our Most Imperiled Species
<br />
<br />By MiChael J Bean, EDr a..tC1rne~ ;jfl(J r','r/{1lr1e Program
<br />Duector. ana aulflOl 1]/ .. rne E va/ullon 01 NiJllOnJI
<br />WlldlllelJl','
<br />
<br />The rear 199.'\ m.ub the 20th .lnm\'crr..;HI'
<br />or tht.. En.LngntJ ~~ClC~ Ad. Till" JIm
<br />of Ihi~ law WJ\ ~imrlc. m rcvn'>C rhe JeL<IJC\
<br />I5nmcumt"l. ccnllHlC\l o( neglect Jnd Jbuse
<br />that h,ld ru~hoo nuny of <lUt n.ltu'n\ Ufll<{llC
<br />plJllh .Hld ,lIllnl.1h
<br />10 the brink of
<br />l'Xllndllln. In twn
<br />~horl ,l,',old."\, there
<br />hJ\ he('n much
<br />prop,"" bUl mUl'},
<br />nWI," n:m.l.lfl' m ht.
<br />.l(((unpll,hed :\
<br />(on(inucd Hron~
<br />LnJJn~cr..d Spt"Ul"
<br />t\u is c>\clHlJl jf
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />~
<br />""'"
<br />
<br />MlchealBean
<br />
<br />we .Ire III prcH'rn~
<br />our uniqut" 1l.lIur.l1 ht"rIlJge Illf our ,hil-
<br />drt'n Jnd our (hilJrt"n'\ (hiIJrt:n
<br />
<br />Five Key Facts About the Act
<br />
<br />1 The Endangered Species Act serves vital
<br />human needs.
<br />
<br />~umc people ,erm Ul think IhJl lhc Ln-
<br />dJngefed Srecies :\<.1 rul<. th<: inlefOl'
<br />and ....dtare of plant' an,l ;lninl.lb ahc'ad of
<br />human'_ It JOl~l1'l. RJthn, rill' AI;! rt'(ngni,<:s
<br />lh,ll lung-term hum"ln nn"d,-fur ne....
<br />mNinnes, Impmn-J .1~rlcuJrur.i1 rrc.xlUllj,.n,
<br />hralthy eUIW_IU'm\, J.nJ an enltly'al-ok JnJ
<br />prnductive en\'lfOnment-call b"\1 he: me:r
<br />if we don't dl"lrol' rhe: fJ.hulnu~ din"r,iIY'
<br />"f lilr with whKh wc ,hJ.re I'ur world. 'Ow
<br />EnJ..ngemJ ~f'l'\-i("\ All !fies 10 rill mfll pra(-
<br />riel" wh.il rill' pll.ncl:nng fun'>CrqUom,t, :\Ido
<br />L''Opold, rrr,crLh-t-d a' thl' ~tlm prnJ.Ullon
<br />of intdhgcm tjnkning~-to kt"T ,'\WI
<br />cog Jnd whl"C1 In the nlJ(hlncr~' 01 Jill:.
<br />
<br />2 The Act has helped pul many species
<br />backonlhe road 10 nlct:Jvery.
<br />
<br />Cillll"rH uf !.'\{~ry ,Ul(, un 'Ct' and ..-nlo\'
<br />lif,r-hand 'Oflll' "f the Ad I m..ny (on\cr.
<br />\Jfl(>f\ ,unn'!.". t )ur namm\ 5~'mh<lJ, the
<br />hJJJ cagle, though ,Iill cndangereJ in
<br />mmt 01 the L'nileJ '>Uto, I' making .I
<br />Jr.llll.llll <.om..-back. And then' arC' morc
<br />
<br />
<br />JM<'XiCJn",ollpllf'
<br />whnoping crJ,nn, mUf(' California ,e;1
<br />U[(l"n. morl" pl"fq:.rine 1"lIlon" more
<br />:\Il'ullan CanaJa gCOl", more hrnwn pdi.
<br />lam, and mm". :\m..-fl(all alligJwn ali\'(;
<br />wJJY 10 th..- l'mud ''1(.11..-, IhJn .II an\'
<br />time In thl' phi 1.....0 decades, .\Io,t III
<br />Ihne 'pl"tie, Jfe ,tilll'fllll'ueJ hv Ihc
<br />1- ndang,c'rl-J "pl1.:io All. hut rhe~ ,mJ mam-
<br />olher, aT~ .....l"1l on {n..- mold 10 rl"lOIN\".
<br />3 Tile AtI's many successes l1ave been
<br />achievedwilhlewmajorconllicts.
<br />
<br />""-hJI "mU<f ~url'n'lflg aDout lhl' Endan.
<br />!,<'ft'd Sptlin Ad I' l1Ilt ho.... fTlarJI' fTlalllr
<br />lunlliu\ it h.., ~pJ.""l1l"d, hUI no..... I~.....
<br />Althnugh the :\ll ha' hl'cn Ifl plJ,e 1m
<br />l.....('nl\' \'l"Jf' and n"....
<br />prUIl'd, mOTr rh.ln
<br />-00 'rt'lll" nl I'IJnl'
<br />allJ al1imak l.jt~lrtl III
<br />pTnlCll mn"l of thl'm
<br />hav(' nl'\'er lrc,itl"d 'l~:'-
<br />nilll""ll1t lOr1fro"C"r'ln
<br />Thou~,lIIJ, of Fed.
<br />eral .llld Fe"l'r.lll~' I'l"f-
<br />ml(f..-d rr"led~ olf..-
<br />"l rUlll1J]..-d t'Jlh \'\~Jf
<br />I,l[ lh"1f Imrall' 011
<br />end.lngcred 'pelle,
<br />Fe.....<:rlhJn] In ](lOO
<br />of th(',t' lJl1nOl hl'
<br />alt..-rl"d <If mndiJlC"d to
<br />rt"dll(C" (ht'lr Ifllrall~ w
<br />
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />The AIflf'j'ILJi'/.1; '9-'.'or) I~..d"~,", IS l'rlt' .,r 't1e.tc.') "lJ,", SJ."(:'SS _~r~' ~
<br />
<br />aCll"puhlt' Jl"Vl"h. A I.......... lonlTovenIC~, lik('
<br />lhal in\'ol"lIlg lhe i'\onhcrn SpOHN Owl
<br />
<br />A aevelaper lacea ~ I)lealerctrance a/lJavrng an
<br />a:.'f)/dflecraSl1mlosofflemlflghebUlltll1dnhavmga
<br />prO/t't:1 sloooed C, 11113 Endangered SoeCles Act"
<br />-Jotm C Sa""'lIl1, Presrdenl,
<br />The."laltJfeConsefl<iInC)
<br />
<br />and llmher harH""in~ in whal Jillll.
<br />femain, lIr the al1u..-nt fOft'''t" or rhe
<br />J'auii, :-\onhwl"l. Cll'lllrc hl".iJlillc,. hUI
<br />rhe~ rrAlIy' reprl""t'nr the fU(' cx(cpuon
<br />rarnl'r than thl" full' undl'r Ihl' EnJ.lngercJ
<br />SpeCK'" :\It,
<br />
<br />4 The Act has succeeded because ilis Ilexi-
<br />ble and sensitive to economic concems.
<br />
<br />Tnl" rnm,I"AI of Ihe:\u "I, rJ~id JnJ in,a.
<br />p.lhll' of anummoJ.lIing (ompnmg ,o(iAI
<br />lonlerm I~ \Implv wrun". 11JC Ad r('quire<,
<br />th,ll lmicII h,lhil.lt de,ign.nion' I-ol' ha,cd
<br />In part ,m e(onnmi, (OmiJl'ra!lon". ""'nl"n
<br />I'fll)t"ll' tnrc.ucn ..-nJangt"fl.J "pt"\:il"S, thl':\lI
<br />r<'''luirn tn,U rl'.I~onahle ,md prudcnt Jlter-
<br />nativr' hl" l'ur,ul.J that litO..... lh(' rro)"-l!
<br />purl'''''"' to hl' fullilled .....ilhout jeop.ardil'
<br />ing th(' 'r<'(I"~' ,urviv.ll. Through rht"
<br />mt,(h;U1I'nl "f h~hit~t l'omerVJtinn pl.ln.
<br />nlng, tnl" Ad 'IriH'~ 10 find J bJI~nll'
<br />hel.....l.en J..-\'d<ll'nl..-nt plan, and spel'lt'"
<br />lOmCf\allOn Ill'l.d,. In Iht' !Arl" C.l'C ....-nl.n
<br />HUlv irremllrilahlc r.:ontlill' l'xi~{, lh," :\ll
<br />(.In ('xC'ml't I'fojeu, ffllm 'peljc, prlJll'l"
<br />rllmrl"l!Ulrl"mcm".
<br />
<br />5 The Acrs successes could be expanded
<br />wilh only modesl lunding increases.
<br />
<br />Tn..- (Orc hudget nf the u.~, Fi,h And
<br />\\'iJdlit~, SCf\"lre~ "nd.lll~cr..-d 're<:i('~ pro.
<br />gram I' ahuul $46 million, ,I mlflus(ult'
<br />fr.ldllln <If lhe tnul rnll"tall:1uJgl'l. 1'\11
<br />\\hal tl"'a!"'llh of the nali,)fl\ l.ll'ltoll sp..-nJ
<br />nn I'iua at Ill,t om" lh~in eJch \'C.lr, tnl'
<br />huJ!!t"l-Jnd, I Ihink il 1\ rJr 10 'J.\'. lhl'
<br />,\<.1', 'llrl<"~..-s-..-ould he douhlcJ,
<br />
<br />emll" III Ihe EnJang..-rcJ SPC'lll" .\d
<br />,<"t.k to I'ren'm u. rl"Jurhorilalion anJ fO
<br />....eJken prOl('ninn IIf Ih(' nalion" m\lq
<br />imperiled .....dJlife Peoplc all acro",
<br />\mcfldn (,In ht'lp (OUIlI('"f {hal effort
<br />IhTl1ugh 1"-([<'1" III lhl' n..-.... .\dmllli,tfJlinn,
<br />to member" of CllrJgrn" and to lo(,ll nl"W"
<br />pap('T" rc..'gl'lCrin~ tht'ir "lrun~ 'Upp"rt t~'r
<br />fl"rIl.....Jfl!' Ihl' nJtinn\ l<lmmilml"nt \(l en-
<br />dJngl'fcd 'r..-(i..-,
<br />
|