Endangered Species Act is worth saving
It is easy to get lost in the political world these days. And the conversations often jump to the polarized opposites, which gain attention, rather than the fundamentals of an issue.
One of these issues is our most fundamental environmental law: the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Passed practically unanimously in 1973 during the Nixon administration, the Endangered Species Act protects our imperiled plants, wildlife and habitats, and recognizes that they “are of aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational and scientific value to the Nation and its people,” according to the Act’s preamble.
But we all know that money talks. So, let’s add economic value to that list. According to a 2017 report by the Outdoor Industry Association, the outdoor recreation economy generates $887 billion in consumer spending, 7.6 million jobs, $65.3 billion federal tax revenue and $59.2 (million in) state and local tax revenue. Yet, without clean habitats and biodiversity, we wouldn’t have the privilege (of) enjoying the prosperity that comes from the recreation industry.
If that isn’t enough to convince everyone the ESA needs protecting, let’s add a long-term perspective to things. Right now, some members of Congress are promising to gut the Endangered Species Act to make way for fossil fuel development in critical habitat areas, including our public lands. Regardless of what our personal political position or connection to the outdoors is, most of us can agree that we want the United States to be leaders, not followers. The global energy industry is shifting to renewables, so rather than slashing the ESA to open revenue for a dying industry, let’s be the leaders in the field.
We need the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws to protect our disappearing wildlife and public lands. Our (U.S.) Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall should protect the Endangered Species Act, if not for the sake of this generation, (then for) the next. When I told my son, 7 years old, that the ESA is on the chopping block, he become sad and frustrated, saying he wished he (were) already older so he could have a job saving nature. This both warmed and hurt my heart. Supporting the ESA and all it stands for is our way of preserving both our ecosystem legacy and our reputation on a global scale, and for generations to come . ...
Yadéeh Sawyer holds a PhD in biology from the University of New Mexico and works as a program specialist for UNM’s Engineering Student Success Center.