Nation’s Wildlife Faces Unprecedented Challenges, Extinction

President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife Jamie Rappaport Clark will testify on the state of wildlife in front of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife at 2:00 p.m. today (Note: start time could be delayed by votes).

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:

“The nation’s wildlife faces unprecedented challenges. Human activities are exacting an increasingly heavy toll on wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. Policy attacks by some in Congress and the Trump administration are undermining essential frameworks, like the Endangered Species Act, for protecting wildlife and public lands.

“The nation’s wildlife is now caught up in the planet’s sixth mass extinction. Species are disappearing 100 times faster than normal due to human activities ranging from habitat destruction to overharvest to threats from invasive species. Half of all species may become in danger of extinction in the next century. Climate change is accelerating and may be the single greatest threat to biodiversity. Yet protections for endangered species, migratory birds, marine mammals, our national wildlife refuges and southwest borderlands all are under attack.

“Today’s leaders are at a conservation crossroads. We must once again commit ourselves to save our irreplaceable wildlife heritage. Addressing today’s significant wildlife challenges is consistent with the nation’s values, a commitment to science, and our responsibility to future generations. And it is widely supported by the American people.”

Background:

• A copy of Jamie Rappaport Clark’s testimony can be downloaded here.