More than 80 conservation groups representing millions of Americans are calling on members of Congress to oppose a new bill (H.R. 9533) targeting the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The “ESA Amendments Act of 2024,” which House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) is proposing, would dramatically weaken the bedrock environmental law by decreasing protections for threatened and endangered species and rewriting key portions of it.
The groups outlined numerous harmful aspects of the proposed bill that would fundamentally alter the 50-year-old law, including by: extending timelines for listing decisions while imperiled species continue to decline while also fast-tracking timelines delistings; diminishing federal agencies’ originally intended role in managing listed species; significantly increasing the allowable “take” of threatened species; narrowing critical habitat designations; and more.
Rep. Westerman says the proposed bill would make the ESA “more effective and prevent it from being abused to delay projects and development.” Instead, it would place significant new administrative hurdles on already overburdened agencies and shift responsibility for key implementation decisions from the federal government to the states, many of which do not have sufficient resources or legal mechanisms in place to conserve listed species effectively.
Industry-friendly members of Congress have targeted the ESA numerous times this Congress and in the past, despite the law enjoying broad support from the public. Meanwhile, the ESA has proven to be one of the most important tools already in place to mitigate the escalating biodiversity crisis in the U.S. and around the world.
Organizations that signed the letter issued the following statements:
“This bill blatantly disregards the severe threat of the biodiversity and climate crises and is among the most anti-science, anti-wildlife and anti-public engagement that we have seen in any Congress,” said Mary Beth Beetham, legislative director for Defenders of Wildlife. “Beyond a mere push towards extinction, this bill could put some of our most imperiled species over the edge.”
“This proposed bill is painstakingly similar to recent, failed attempts to neutralize the Endangered Species Act, as well as the blueprints we’re seeing in Project 2025,” said Earthjustice Legislative Director for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans Addie Haughey. “There is no more blatant effort to do the dirty work of polluting industries in Congress than this persistent effort to target a law that is both extremely effective at preventing extinction and supported by the vast majority of Americans.”
“The Endangered Species Act is our most effective safety net for our nation’s most vulnerable wildlife, but this extreme bill threatens to rip apart the crucial strands of that safety net,” said Endangered Species Coalition Policy Advisor Jewel Tomasula. “From sea turtles to bumble bees, countless species and their critical habitats could be lost forever to industrial development that profits a handful of large corporate polluters.”
“Don’t get it twisted; nothing in this bill is intended to make the ESA more effective. It is just anti-environment members’ latest attempt to sell out America’s natural heritage for the benefit of powerful industry groups,” said Rebecca Riley, managing director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “If the Chair were serious about improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the ESA, he would be fighting to fully fund these critical agencies.”
“For the past 50 years the Endangered Species Act, has remained our strongest tool against fighting extinction by prioritizing scientific evidence over political interests.” said Jennifer Eskra, Director of Legislative Affairs at the Humane Society Legislative Fund “Now, as our planet faces alarming rates biodiversity loss, the provisions proposed by the ESA Amendments Act would tarnish the ESA’s successful legacy by severely limit our federal agencies’ ability to respond effectively to protect already vulnerable species.”
“The ESA is one of the most successful conservation laws in our nation’s history and continues to save countless species from extinction,” said Bradley Williams, Deputy Legislative Director at Sierra Club. “This attempt by Chair Westerman to gut protections for species in the midst of a biodiversity crisis will only push species further to the brink. Short term profits for oil and gas executives is not worth sacrificing the natural legacy of our country.”
“We have an obligation to protect animals from extinction, for their own sake and for ours. The ESA provides the strongest tool we have to do so,” said Johanna Hamburger, director and senior attorney of the Animal Welfare Institute’s Terrestrial Wildlife Program. “It has been credited with saving 99 percent of listed species from extinction and serves as a global model. This bill would undermine 50 years of success, and the most imperiled of species may pay the ultimate price.”
“The ESA is one of the most effective laws ever created to ensure that we don’t lose the precious biodiversity that we depend on for our survival as a species,” said Josh Osher, Public Policy Director for Western Watersheds Project. “If the goal is really to make the ESA even better, what we need is more funding and resources, not a cynical attempt to gut it.“
For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.
