Preventing species from going extinct in the face of so many threats isn't easy. It means that everyone, from federal agencies, to global corporations, to average citizens, have to commit to the same set of actions when a species is in danger of disappearing forever. The greatest tools we have in the fight to prevent extinction are the local, state, and federal laws that protect imperiled species. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the most powerful of these tools. An impressive 99% of the plant, animal and insect species that have been protected under the ESA are with us today despite their brushes with extinction, including American icons like the bald eagle, the California condor, and the Florida manatee.