The 3rd Friday in May is set aside as Endangered Species Day. This year marks its 15th anniversary. The colorful images above are created by children who entered an art contest sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for enforcing the 1973 landmark Endangered Species Act (“ESA”).
Here’s what the USFWS website says: “On May 15, 2020 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will observe Endangered Species Day in order to recognize the national conservation efforts to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats.”
“…there is a growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that the current rate of species extinction is much higher than the background rate, or natural rate, of the past. The current rate and extent of species loss and endangerment can be directly attributed to human activities.”
USFWS “An Introduction to the Endangered Species Act”; logo above also from USFWS
Yet never before in the 47 year history of the ESA has the act itself been more endangered. Changes to interpretation of the law announced by the administration in 2019 (and now under court challenge) would weaken the ESA in significant ways, including:
- allowing economic considerations to determine whether a species is to be listed
- weakening protections for species listed as “threatened”
- limiting the designation of habitat necessary for the recovery of listed species
Back at the USFWS website, however, the agency continues to describe the purpose of ESA: “to protect and recover imperiled species, and to preserve the ecosystems upon which these species depend” which demonstrates the old adage: “actions speak louder than words.”