The Endangered Species Act Is Under Attack
By Earthjustice
Recognizing that extinction is irreversible, the United States did in 1973 what no country had done before, establishing a commitment to protect and restore the species that are most at risk of extinction.
The Endangered Species Act is one of the most popular and effective environmental laws ever enacted.
In the four decades since the Endangered Species Act became law, 99% of species protected under the Endangered Species Act have not perished.
But in 2019, the Trump administration finalized an “extinction plan,” dramatically weakening the Endangered Species Act and violating the spirit and purpose of the law itself.
On behalf of environmental and animal protection groups, Earthjustice has brought the administration to court to challenge the new regulations.
It takes millions of years for species to evolve — but if we fail to protect our incredible, diverse fellow species from man-made threats, they can be lost in the blink of an eye.
Earthjustice, born in the same era as the Endangered Species Act, has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure this critical statute is enforced, acting in the interest of hundreds of plants and animals to ensure their survival. These benefits extend to people too.
Humans are not isolated from their natural environment, and what happens to other creatures affects our own existence, too.
These six species are among the many that have been saved from extinction by the Endangered Species Act…