Science in the Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act (ESA), signed into law by President Nixon in 1973, has provided protection to our most threatened and endangered species for over thirty years and is a cornerstone of our country's most basic environmental protections.
Though it is difficult to accurately measure the success of legislation that protects only the most desperately compromised species, it is clear that the ESA has given new hope for sustained survival to hundreds of species that were on the brink of extinction. For over a third of listed species, their populations have stabilized or improved. The status of nearly 40% of listed species is currently unknown, making the case for strengthening the act to better monitor endangered species and their habitats.
Over 5,700 scientists with biological expertise from across the county joined an important effort to ensure that the Endangered Species Act (ESA)—the cornerstone of the United States' most basic environmental protections—continues to conserve biodiversity by using the best available science. The Letter from Biologists to the U.S. Senate Concerning Science in the Endangered Species Act highlights the importance of independent scientific principles that are critical to species conservation.
The letter with the full complement of signatures was hand-delivered to each senate office on March 8, 2006. In addition, several scientists personally delivered the letter and met with their senators and staff to discuss the importance of science and scientists to the Endangered Species Act.
Learn more at http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/solutions/big_picture_solutions/science-in-the-endangered.html
