Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, one of the bedrock environmental laws of the United States, coming into force.
Overwhelming majorities in both the United States House of Representatives and Senate passed the Act. Since it was signed into law by President Richard Nixon, the Endangered Species Act has become one of the most significant environmental laws in U.S. history. It has saved from extinction 99 percent of all the species listed for protection.
Right now, the world is in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis. Nearly one million species worldwide face the threat of extinction, largely driven by habitat loss and climate change. The United States alone currently loses a football field’s worth of natural space to development every thirty seconds.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“Fifty years ago, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act with overwhelming majorities. It was a triumph for a still-young environmental movement. Since then, this transformative law continues to shine as a bipartisan success story.
“Without the Endangered Species Act, American icons like the grizzly bear, gray wolf, and even the bald eagle, would have been driven to extinction. Thanks to this critical law, each of these species, along with dozens of others, have been brought back from the brink and are able not only to survive, but to thrive for generations to come.
“We must continue to work to protect imperiled wildlife and plants. Habitat destruction and climate change are depriving countless species of the very places they need to survive, and nearly a million species around the world face the threat of extinction. For fifty years, this law has saved endangered species from the cruel fate of extinction – we must fight to ensure it works for another fifty and beyond.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.