Endangered Species Act


Photo: Eric Kilby/Flickr

Scientists Find Serious Flaws in Proposal to Delist Endangered Gray Wolf

, Research scientist

June 24, 2019 10:30 AM EDT

According to a five-member peer-review panel, the administration’s proposal to delist the endangered gray wolf (Canis lupus) from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is chalk full of scientific errors that misrepresent the scientific consensus regarding wolf conservation and taxonomy. One member of the panel even said that the proposed rule seems as if it were written with a predetermined conclusion to delist the endangered gray wolf, and then the administration cherry picked evidence they thought supported their conclusion. Read more >

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The San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is but one the 1,399 species whose population is at risk of being lost due to pesticide exposure. Photo: USFWS/Flickr

1,399 Endangered Species Latest Casualty as David Bernhardt’s Siege on Science Continues at Interior Department

, Research scientist

March 27, 2019 10:16 AM EDT

Over the past two years, Bernhardt has played a prominent role in sidelining science in policy decisions at the Department of the Interior (DOI). How egregious are these attacks on science? Here are three that stand out, including one that just came to light and puts more than 1,200 endangered species at risk. Read more >

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Photo: NCinDC/CC BY-ND 2.0 (Flickr)

The Department of Interior Does Not Care What You Think About Endangered Species

, Deputy director, Center for Science & Democracy

September 18, 2018 3:26 PM EDT

The Department of Interior simultaneously announced three majorly flawed proposals that would radically transform how the Endangered Species Act functions and gave the public just 60 days to provide feedback. Yesterday, without providing any reasoning, the department denied a request from UCS to extend the comment period. That means you have six more days to file a comment (Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3). This guide from UCS can help you craft an effective comment on one or all of these rules. Read more >

Photo: NCinDC/CC BY-ND 2.0 (Flickr)
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Photo: Wayne National Forest

This Beetle Lays its Eggs in Dead Mice Carcasses and then Covers Them With Mucus – But it’s Endangered and Important

, Research scientist

September 5, 2018 1:37 PM EDT

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) rushed a scientific assessment on the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in Nebraska, seemingly because the agency didn’t want to disrupt agribusiness. Two biologists that were working on the assessment, Wyatt Hoback and Douglas Leasure, told the Washington Post that the FWS pushed them to conduct their science on an extremely constrained timeline. The beetle has been a source of contention in federal government research since 2013. The species was listed as endangered after 1989 when scientific evidence showed that the beetle had disappeared from over 90% of its historic range in the US.

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Photo: Wayne National Forest
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The endangered black-footed ferret. Photo: USFWS Mountain-prairie

Proposed Changes to the Endangered Species Act Threaten Wildlife

, researcher, Center for Science & Democracy

September 4, 2018 1:55 PM EDT

The Trump Administration is threatening species, land conservation, and human health and wellbeing by rolling back our health, safety, and environmental protections. This time the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are attempting to undercut the scientific basis of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by proposing changes that will make it less effective, even increasing the chances that species will go extinct. Read more >

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Praire
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