URX NonFiction Piece March 13th
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
The Endangered Species Act was inspired by the bald eagle. It provides protection and conservation
for species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a portion of a species range and
provides conservation for the environments which the species depend on. The Endangered Species Act
(ESA) went into effect on December 28th, 1973. In recent years, many debates This is of a bald eagle
have gone on about if the ESA is affective and actually protecting the different which is a very special
bird to many
species. To many, the ESA is protecting the species and raising their populations.
Americans and was
However, according to the Center for Biological Diversity “80 percent of species the reason why the
have not yet reached their expected recovery year time.” The ESA has a motto : Endangered Species
“On Target, On Time” and they haven’t always accomplished their motto. While the Act was created.
overall percentage of people think that the ESA is working, more and more
evidence is making it clear that the ESA isn’t protecting the species like it should.
Endangered Species Act 1
URX NonFiction Piece March 13th
When the ESA was passed in 1973, the biggest concern was
to prevent bald eagles from going extinct because many
people shot, poisoned and trapped them. To address the
concern, there was a statement added to the ESA stating
that it unlawful for any person "to harass, harm, pursue,
hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to
attempt to engage in any such conduct." This addition
seemed like it would help but it has led to harmful
consequences for the species that they are trying to protect.
An example of a preventable action resulted in a “lawsuit
against the Fish and Wildlife Service, filed in 2009 by
Friends of Animals and WildEarth Guardians, that would
require game ranchers in Texas to get a take permit from
the federal government before they could hunt on their
private property. The groups used a subsection of the ESA
that made it illegal to import and export any endangered
species to or from the United States.” Aggressive use of the
ESA by environmental groups has not been beneficial to
endangered species or private landowners (Anderson).
What is a fish without
water? What is a bird
without a tree to nest These are the poor little
animals that people
in? What is an
drug to get money and
Endangered Species use for entertainment.
Act without any
enforcement
Baby apes and orangutans are being sold for a lot of money. The baby
mechanism to ensure monkeys are sold to a private collector or an unscrupulous zoo where
their habitat is they are beaten or drugged into submission and used for
protected? It is entertainment such as “banging on drums or boxing one another.”
nothing. Unlike other businesses like elephant ivory or rhino horns, ape
trafficking deals with the most intelligent, endangered and sensitive
-JAY INSLEE
animals on Earth. Most species of apes are social and live in large
groups, so the poachers usually kill the entire family and then take the
little baby because it is easier to smuggle and hide. If the ESA was
actually effective, these poachers wouldn't be getting away with what
they are doing to the most intelligent animals on Earth (Gettlemen)
Endangered Species Act 2
URX NonFiction Piece March 13th
Despite a remarkable rebound in the sea mammal's population, many Americans want to keep manatees on
the federal endangered species list. At least 1,200 comments came in from around the country of people
voicing their opinions on manatees. "While there is still more work to be done to fully recover manatee
populations, their numbers are climbing and the threats to the species' survival are being reduced," Michael
Bean, an official from the US Department of the Interior said in a news release. Even though their population
is growing, many people think they are safer on the federal endangered species list but the government thinks
that they will survive off of the endangered species list. This is another way of people not using the ESA in an
effective way that will help protect certain species (Shekhtman).
The opposing side believes that the ESA is effective at protecting
endangered species from extinction. They say even though
some species’ populations aren’t fully recovered, their
populations are growing and threats are being reduced but due
to habitat loss and poaching, many species are still dying and
are still in a lot of danger. The snow leopard is in a vulnerable
place right now since their habitat is being destroyed even
though they aren’t being poached as much anymore. Habitat
loss can kill just as many species as poaching can and the ESA
isn’t preventing any of it (Hauser).
Endangered Species Act 3
URX NonFiction Piece March 13th
Many people think that the ESA is effective at protecting endangered species but there is so much evidence
that the ESA isn’t protecting the them. There was a statement added to the ESA saying that it would be
illegal for any person to "to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to
attempt to engage in any such conduct” and there are still people killing elephants and rhinos for the ivory
on their tusks. The snow leopard’s habitat is being destroyed so people can build more buildings or houses.
Baby apes and orangutans are being sold for entertainment. If the Endangered Species Act was actually
protecting the species’, than the animals wouldn’t be getting killed, drugged for money, entertainment or
construction.
Endangered Species Act 4
