23 Species Lost to Extinction

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced their proposal to remove 23 species from the list of threatened and endangered species that are protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) today because they are believed to be extinct. These species join the list of 11 species previously delisted due to extinction, and the hundreds of other scientists estimate have been lost in the last 200 years.

“This is a grim reminder that we are in a very serious biodiversity crisis,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO. “With 1 million species threatened with extinction worldwide in the coming decades, we need a coordinated strategy to address the crisis. The US must implement a coordinated all-of-government approach to confront this problem at home so that we can avoid more extinctions like these.”

Species proposed for delisting include the ivory-billed woodpecker, Bachman’s warbler and several Southeastern freshwater mussels. Hawaii has the most species protected by the ESA – over 500 – and the most being delisted for extinction — eight woodland birds and one plant. 

Earlier this year, President Biden requested more than a $60 million increase for endangered species conservation — the largest increase requested for the program in history — but the House Appropriations Committee undercut the president’s budget request by $17 million.

Ultimately, properly funding the Endangered Species Act (ESA) will ensure that it can fulfill its full potential for saving species. A 2016 study in PNAS  estimates that less than 25% of the $1.21 billion/year needed for implementing recovery plans for 1,125 species is actually allocated to recovery. 

“The Endangered Species Act is not failing,” said Clark in a September 29 article in The Washington Post. “It’s starving.”

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USFWS, Louis Agassiz Fuertes

In March, more than 170 groups urged a substantial increase in ESA funding to address the biodiversity crisis. The House Build Back Better Act would provide an infusion of increased ESA funding by some $340 million. In the upcoming weeks, the full House is expected to vote on the bill, which will move to the Senate for consideration. 

Beyond funding, effectively combatting the biodiversity crisis will require making the issue a higher national priority and establishing a comprehensive federal response. Members of Congress and 70 national and regional conservation groups are calling for the development of a National Biodiversity Strategy. Rep. Joe Neguse introduced a resolution to establish a national strategy.  

The strategy would entail a whole-of-government approach to reviewing the nation’s laws, policies and programs for addressing the five leading drivers of the biodiversity and extinction crisis. The drivers are: climate change, habitat loss and modification, overexploitation of wildlife, invasive species and pollution. 

Today’s announcement from FWS kicks off a three-month comment period before the species status changes become final.