For Immediate Release
August 23, 2004

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Casper, WY-Calling attention to the vital role the 30-year old Endangered Species Act has played in preventing extinction and promoting the long-term health of the environment, conservationists are calling upon Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas to strengthen the landmark conservation law.

At an August 23rd subcommittee field hearing on the Endangered Species Act, conservationists urged Senator Thomas to stand by the law, highlighting the many recovery successes, landowner incentives, and the use of the best available science under the Endangered Species Act. In a letter to federal lawmakers, 420 scientists also urged against legislation that would weaken the law.

The Endangered Species Act has been very effective in preventing the loss of species. Over 98% of species that have been protected under the law have been spared from extinction. The law has served as a valuable rescue line, pulling species away from the brink. Wyoming's black-footed ferret recovery program is a good example of the law's successful application. The Shirley Basin of Wyoming, for instance, now supports one of the most successful ferret populations in the world.

"The Endangered Species Act is a vital safety net for wildlife, fish, and plants on the brink of extinction," said Jason Marsden, Executive Director of Wyoming Conservation Voters. "Extinction is forever, and the Act has done well to provide a vital rescue line for the bald eagle, black-footed ferret, and over 1000 other species."

Conservationists, however, do agree with Senator Thomas that recovery rates of protected species could be better. However, the law has been chronically starved of funding and bureaucratic footdragging threatens species recovery.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service consistently asks for only a fraction of the money properly needed to implement the Endangered Species Act," said Jeremy Nichols, Endangered Species Program Director for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "Any law would be ineffective if funds aren't provided to support its basic implementation."

The Endangered Species Act also provides numerous tools for balancing the needs of endangered species with those of private landowners. Examples include habitat conservation planning and special rules allowing limited take of threatened wildlife. For instance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently developed a special rule exempting ongoing agricultural activities from harming the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, a threatened species. Incentives for landowners to enter into conservation agreements are also an important part of the Act. An example involves the Wyoming toad, one of the most endangered amphibians in the world that is found near Laramie. In exchange for landowners undertaking actions to benefit the toad, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to ease Endangered Species Act protections.

"The Endangered Species Act allows the development of balanced solutions to prevent the extinction of endangered fish, plants and wildlife," said Tracie Weber, Associate Regional Representative for the Sierra Club. "Habitat conservation planning, special rules, and incentives are all important ways we can work together to protect and recover threatened and endangered species."

Public survey research has demonstrated that the Endangered Species Act is enormously popular. An April 2004 poll by Decision Research found that 86% of voters nationwide support the current Endangered Species Act, and 95% of voters agree that habitat protection is one of the most effective ways to protect species on the brink. This poll corroborates research in 1999 that showed 84% of the American public supports the current Endangered Species Act or an even a stronger version.