This week, the incredible power of our coalition and the advocacy of people all over the country saved the Endangered Species Act.
On Earth Day, as people across the country celebrated the natural world, one of our country’s strongest safeguards for wildlife was under direct attack. Congress had scheduled a vote on Representative Westerman’s ESA Amendments Act (H.R. 1897), a bill that would take a sledgehammer to the Endangered Species Act and the threatened and endangered species it protects.
So we went to Capitol Hill.
The Endangered Species Coalition joined forces with partners from across the country to stand up for the ESA at a pivotal moment. Together, we brought 55 advocates from 16 states to Washington, D.C., and held more than 100 meetings with members of Congress. In room after room, we made the case that the Endangered Species Act is worth defending and urged Representatives to reject this dangerous rollback.
Our team from Florida shared the message that the ESA is why we still have sea turtles, manatees, smalltooth sawfish, and dozens of other endangered species that make Florida special. The ESA is working, but Westerman’s ESA rollback bill would stop the good work to protect species
The delegation from the southeast states highlighted the critically endangered red wolf. If not for the ESA, red wolves would have been lost forever. While fewer than 30 live in the wild, red wolves attract photographers and tourists from all over to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge where they live. We stressed that Westerman’s ESA bill would disrupt recovery efforts for the red wolf.
Our New York contingency talked about the importance of the ESA for piping plovers, which migrate across the continent but depend on Rockaway beach for nesting and raising their young, and for North Atlantic right whales, which live in the oceans nearby during the summer. They shared that if Westerman’s ESA rollback bill passed into law, it would be devastating.
The Coloradans who joined us in D.C. discussed how the ESA protects species like the mountain plover, black footed ferret and lynx need to survive. They talked about the importance of outdoor recreation for their way of life and economy, but also the simple truth that extinction is forever and that is unacceptable to the people of Colorado.
At the same time as these meetings, Americans in all 50 states called and emailed their Representatives in defense of the ESA and the cherished wildlife it protects. And it worked! ESC activists, members, and supporters sent more than 58,000 emails to their representatives, and made hundreds—if not thousands—of phone calls defending the Endangered Species Act.
This week’s success has been years in the making and a resounding testament to the power of people, activism and the integral coalition work we do each and every day.
This Earth Week, together we helped defend the Endangered Species Act and the wildlife it protects. That kind of advocacy takes people power, persistence, and resources. Your support helps fuel the organizing, outreach, and rapid-response work needed to meet these threats and keep fighting for endangered species. Please make a gift today to help protect wildlife and defend the ESA.
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