July 27, 2011
Contact:
Virginia Cramer, 804-225-9113 x 102
U.S. House Shows Strong Support for Wildlife Protection
With overwhelming bipartisan support the U.S. House of Representatives today voted to preserve funding for the Endangered Species Act, one of the country's most successful environmental laws. The vote kills a measure added to the budget bill that would prevent new listings under the Endangered Species Act and the protection of key wildlife areas.
In response Fran Hunt, Director of Sierra Club's Resilient Habitats Campaign, issued the following statement.
"In the midst of the worst attacks on our nation's air, water, wildlife and land to date, today's vote to protect the Endangered Species Act offers hope.
"Beneath the political posturing, the fundamental truth is that the Endangered Species Act is the reason that bald eagles still soar as a symbol of freedom. For almost four decades it has successfully served as a safety net for our country’s rarest plants and animals.
"Today our endangered wildlife are facing greater threats than ever before—from destructive energy development, to unsustainable logging, to a rapidly changing climate. Thanks to the leadership of Representatives Dicks, Fitzpatrick, Thompson, and Hanabusa and strong bipartisan support, the tools remain to make sure that America's wildlife don’t become just a memory."
###
The Sierra Club's Resilient Habitats Campaign is working across the country to protect, connect and restore America's great outdoors. By safeguarding our nation's wild lands and waters, we are creating healthy natural systems that will help plants, animals and people survive and thrive in a changing climate. www.sierraclub.org/habitat