Change and Hope for Endangered Species

With the election of President Barack Obama, we have the unprecedented opportunity to restore protections for our nation’s disappearing wildlife and last remaining wild places.

Before leaving office, the Bush Administration snuck through midnight regulations that would weaken the Endangered Species Act. The regulations make it harder to protect polar bears, gray wolves, Canadian lynx, pacific salmon and thousands of other endangered species.

The Endangered Species Act is the safety net for our nation’s wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction. The Bush Administration’s new regulations cut a hole in the safety net and take scientists out of the decision making process.

There are several ways that we can restore the protections of the Endangered Species Act. The Obama Administration can overturn the regulations. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has said that he will review the rules. Or Congress can pass a bill. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Jo Rahall has introduced a bill H.J. Resolution 18 that would use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Bush Administration’s regulations.

If you want to overturn the Bush Administration’s last minute regulations that weaken the Endangered Species Act, you can help in a number of ways:

Write your Members of Congress and urge them to save endangered species by co-sponsoring H.J. Res. 18 which would use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Bush Administration’s regulations. Send a letter to your Members of Congress to ask them to support the bill to overturn the Bush Administration’s Endangered Species Act regulations.

Join us in applauding President Obama’s stated commitment to protect endangered species and restore scientific integrity. Urge President Obama to immediately reverse regulations that weaken the Endangered Species Act and to take steps to strengthen endangered species protections, including

• extend the Endangered Species Act’s safety net to all species in need
• strengthen habitat protections
• address global warming impacts on threatened and endangered species
• provide adequate funding for endangered species programs

Sign the Petition to President Obama to save endangered species

We must act now to restore strong protections for endangered species. Thank you for your help in saving our nation’s wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction.