Sixteen years ago, the advocacy organization National Wildlife Federation came to Congress with a novel idea—it sought to designate an annual event focused around the conservation and restoration of endangered species. Luckily, Congress agreed, and so now, on the third Friday of every May, we honor and salute the species that need our help. There are approximately 1,700 species currently listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). But that list provides only a tiny glimpse of our nation’s imperiled flora and fauna. Declining populations, climate change, and more direct human pressures—like industrial development and overhunting—are threatening habits and biodiversity in increasingly unprecedented ways, which means the number of creatures that need ESA protections continues to grow. For every species that is officially listed as endangered or threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Services (the Services), there are approximately seven that aren't. 

According to the National Wildlife Federation, one-third of all US species are at risk of extinction. "More broadly, state wildlife agencies have identified nearly 12,000 species nationwide in need of conservation action," states Collin O’Mara, president and CEO at the National Wildlife Federation.

Meanwhile, scientists estimate that the extinction rate has increased a thousand times since humans dominated the world—at least 1 million species currently face extinction by the end of this century. Now more than ever, it's important that we rally around not just what's officially recognized as endangered but also around those most in need of protection. The federal commitment to saving endangered and threatened species has, at times, been inconsistent—or flat-out disastrous—for wildlife. Too frequently, agency employees have allowed special interests to usurp control of conservation goals. The result has been dismal recovery for some species, even ones that are listed. A notable example is the grizzly bear, which is currently listed as threatened but is still, conservationists say, in dire need of continued endangered classification.

The lack of progress with such species (the Florida panther is unfortunately in the same boat as the grizzly) highlights an overarching failure to address systemic causes of biodiversity loss as well as root problems like habitat loss. This rings especially true for species that aren’t afforded protections. With those species that have slipped through the cracks in mind, here are six endangered-yet-unlisted species that need us.  

Photo courtesy of Tierra Curry/Center for Biological Diversity

Hellbender 

At lengths of up to two feet long, the eastern hellbender is one of the largest species of salamanders in North America. There are two hellbender subspecies: the Ozark hellbender, found in Arkansas and Missouri, and the eastern hellbender, which resides throughout most of the Appalachia, from Georgia up through New York. While the Ozark subspecies is federally protected, the eastern hellbender is not. Given its reliance on cool, clear, clean steams and freshwater, the eastern hellbender can tell us a lot about the health of riparian ecosystems. As they decline, we lose one of our key indicators of water quality. And it's losing ground fast. “More than three-quarters of the hellbender’s populations are extirpated or declining, and future projections all show accelerated further losses,” says Brian Segee, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a lawsuit. Sadly, this has not been enough to persuade US Fish and Wildlife to propose listing the eastern hellbender as endangered. Instead, it's ruled that such classification isn’t warranted, making future recovery harder. 

Photo courtey of Steve Kroschel/USFWS 

Wolverine

Conservation groups have been trying to list wolverines as endangered for over 25 years. The species—which plays an important role in the ecosystem as predators that keep prey animal populations in check, furthering biodiversity—faces a range of threats, from loss of habitat to roads and other development, resource extraction, recreation, and climate change. With approximately 300 wolverines left in the Lower 48, the elusive mustelid is one of the rarest members of the weasel family. Despite their legendary fierceness, wolverines are surprisingly fragile—they require cold, snowy climates and prefer truly wild areas. Consequently, they're facing two life-threatening shifts that show no signs of abating—climate change and human development. Like polar bears, wolverines need Arctic-like conditions to survive. Warming temperatures mean less snow, which can be fatal for the snow-adapted carnivores. In 2013, the federal government seemed poised to list wolverines under the Endangered Species Act. The next year, they withdrew their proposal after a collective of Rocky Mountain state wildlife agencies questioned the validity of the science used to cite climate change as a threat and also pointed to small numbers of dispersals in Colorado and California as evidence of growing populations. But these populations are tenuous at best; in fact, they’re often single animals with no mate or chance of establishing significant populations. The listing proposal languished for years until October 2020, when the Services affirmed that they would no longer be seeking federal protections. Seeing as climate change is the biggest threat to wolverine recovery, the best possible way to help them is by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. But there are also conservation organizations, like the Cascades Wolverine Project, that are seeking citizen scientists to help monitor and track current populations. 

Photo courtesy of RS Wenaha/ODFW

Gray Wolf

After years of trying and failing, the US Fish and Wildlife finally removed federal protections for gray wolves earlier this year. Yet, for many wolf advocates, the move was premature. Wolves are still absent from 90 percent of their historical range. Some of that range is no longer suitable, but there are still vast areas that are ripe for wolf recovery, including the Southern Rockies, West Coast, and northern New England. Wolves in these areas were deemed nonessential by the recent delisting decision, making them especially vulnerable to threats like hunting and poaching. These types of human pressures still pose a significant danger to wolf recovery around the country. In this year alone, Montana, Idaho, and Wisconsin have instituted draconian laws meant to wipe out entire populations, raising a red flag for conservationists who are advocating for restored federal protections. They argue that until wolves have recovered throughout their current habitable range, they will never be truly recovered. More importantly, wolves are a keystone species that create a trophic cascade throughout the ecosystems where they live, often regulating the browsing habits of elk, deer, and moose so that no one particular area is overgrazed. This in turn ensures healthy habitat for song birds, beavers, and even fish that rely on overstory shade to keep waters cool. Outside of the courts, some environmental organizations are asking the public to urge President Biden and Secretary Haaland to relist wolves. And recently, 100 scientists wrote a letter to the Biden administration requesting that protections be restored. The Sierra Club, for its part, has a helpful page with resources on how you can help advocate for wolf recovery.  

Photo courtesy of Jeanne Stafford/USFWS

Greater Sage Grouse 

In 2015, when disparate groups came together in the West to create a conservation plan for the greater sage grouse, many hailed it as a new collaborative model for conservation. Like other indicator species, the chicken-size bird with the fancy footwork needs healthy habitat to thrive. In this case, it’s the sagebrush steppe of the West. When these ecosystems flourish, biodiversity abounds. Species like pronghorn, sagebrush lizards, and pygmy rabbits all depend on this ecosystem to prosper. Even though the federal government agreed not to list the bird, oil and gas companies, working within this conservation plan, committed to setting aside vast areas for conservation. Shortly after, however, the plan seemed doomed when the Bureau of Land Management decided to abandon one of its main promises, which was to keep 9 million acres free from new mining leases. In 2019, environmental groups scored a win when a court blocked the proposed changes from going into effect. Alas, it likely isn’t enough—according to a March 2021 report by the US Geological Survey, greater sage grouse populations continue to shrink across the West, with a 40 percent decline since 2002. In order to really protect the bird and its habitat, say conservationists, we need to stop drilling near core breeding areas, otherwise known as leks. The Audubon Society also recommends limiting wildfire prevention, establishing conservation easements, and removing invasive plants. 

Photo by Janet Griffin-Scott/iStock

Monarch Butterfly

The plight of the monarch is tragic not only for its precipitous decline but also for the reason it isn't being protected. Last year, US Fish and Wildlife ruled that the butterfly does indeed warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act—but it doesn't have the resources to put protections into place. This is because of a number of factors including limited staff and budget constraints. But the most significant reason according to the department is that there are 161 other species that are ahead of the butterfly in the listing queue. There are only two remaining monarch populations in North America, and the outlook for both is pretty bleak. The eastern population, which migrates from Mexico to Canada, has declined by 80 percent in recent years. And the western population, which resides mostly in California, has dropped by 99 percent. For now, the department has agreed to review the status of the iconic insect every year until 2024.  

Photo by Billy_Fam/iStock

Longleaf Pine Tree

Longleaf pine forests once stretched over 90 million acres along the Eastern Seaboard from Virginia to Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico over to Texas. Threats to the trees are deep-seated and multipronged, including excessive timber harvest in the 19th century and urban sprawl throughout the 20th century. The USFWS recognizes 29 federally protected species that call the forest home. The tree's need for fire made early forestry professionals wary of replanting them, but more recently, as scientists and communities have come to know and love the iconic southern tree for its utility and aesthetics, restoration efforts have been bolstered. It’s unquietly adapted to the fire-prone environment that is prevalent throughout much of the Southeast, and it is also the home of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Since 2010, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the US Department of Agriculture, has led the Longleaf Pine Initiative, a program that works with private landowners in nine southern states to maintain and restore longleaf pine forests. Despite this, the size of the forest is still greatly diminished when compared with its former glory. Today, with just 3 percent of the original forest left, it is one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the country.