Written by The Wisconsin Gazette
Dozens of congressional members led by Arizona Democrat Raúl M. Grijalva are raising an alarm over the record number of anti-Endangered Species Act provisions in House and Senate appropriations bills to fund the Interior Department and other federal agencies for the upcoming fiscal year.
A letter to the president calls on him to ensure the damaging attacks by Republicans, which would block federal protections for gray wolves, greater sage grouse, lesser prairie chicken, and numerous other species, are removed from final legislation to fund the federal government.
The letter calls the Endangered Species Act “a bedrock environmental law that for forty years has protected our irreplaceable and iconic American Wildlife and landscapes. It has been ninety-nine percent effective, preventing the extinction of hundreds of plants and animals, including the peregrine falcon, the Florida manatee, the American alligator and our nation’s symbol, the bald eagle.”
Yet, the writers said, “House Republicans have doubled down on their quest to erode protections provided under the Endangered Species Act.”
“We endorse this strong statement from nearly 100 members of Congress, which reflects the resolve of the vast majority of American voters who support the Endangered Species Act,” said Drew Caputo, of the nonprofit Earthjustice. “In a time of partisan strife, fully 90 percent of voters have found common cause in protections for imperiled species and preservation of our natural heritage.”