Endangered Species Act Under Attack

	ACTION ALERT: The ESA Under Attack Please Call Resources Committee Members and Urge Opposition to Anti-Endangered Species Bills
	The House Resources Committee will vote on two bills that would significantly weaken Endangered Species Act protections Wednesday, July 21, 2004. *We need your help to stop these bills in Committee.* The two bills are Rep. Dennis Cardoza’s (D-CA) “Critical Habitat Reform Act of 2003” (HR 2933) and Rep. Greg Walden’s (R-OR) “Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act” (HR 1662). These bills would create holes in the designation of critical habitat and place additional burdens on the scientific process of listing species under the Endangered Species Act. *Committee members need to hear from you today!* TAKE ACTION: Please call the following Representatives (see below) on the Resources Committee and let them know that you care about endangered species protection and don’t want Congress to weaken the Act! Urge them to vote against both HR 2933-the Cardoza anti-critical habitat bill and HR 1662-the Walden unsound science bill on July 21, 2004. Special Focus: Please call/write Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) Environmental aide: Darin Schroeder 202-225-5506 darin.schroeder@mail.house.gov The Anti-Critical Habitat Bill Rep. Dennis Cardoza’s (D-CA) “Critical Habitat Reform Act of 2003”- HR 2933 tries to undermine protections for the places that imperiled plants and animals need to survive and recover. The bill attempts to make the designation of critical habitat, the very places endangered species need to recover, voluntary rather than mandatory as the Endangered Species Act currently requires, by removing all legal deadlines. It changes the definition of critical habitat, creates loopholes and makes it increasingly harder for species to return from the brink of extinction. Critical habitat is one of the most important protections in the Endangered Species Act. Scientists tell us that one of the best ways to protect species it to protect the places they live. One of the main reasons why species are becoming endangered is habitat loss. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment and leave behind a legacy of protecting endangered species and the special places they call home. The Unsound Science Bill Rep. Walden’s (R-OR) “Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act”-HR 1662 seeks to undercut the use of the best science. By requiring government agencies to “give greater weight” to some kinds of science over others, it seeks to restrict the use of important methods that scientists currently use to assess species’ protection, such as statistical tools that often provide the most telling insights about the species. Scientists, not Congress, should determine which science best addresses any given issue. The Endangered Species Act already requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use the most rigorous science available in developing balanced solutions to prevent the extinction of endangered fish, plants and wildlife. Developers, and the politicians they give money to, are trying to weaken the Endangered Species Act. They are manipulating science to fit their political agenda and working to remove the checks and balances that help protect people from special interests. More background and in-depth information is available on the Endangered Species Coalition's website at: http://www.stopextinction.org/Issues/IssuesList.cfm?c=31 Resources Committee Members to Call: Representative Phone Jim Saxton, (R-NJ) 202/225-4765 Wayne T. Gilchrest, (R-MD) 202/225-5311 Rubén Hinojosa, (D-TX) 202/225-2531 Ciro D. Rodriguez, (D-TX) 202/225-1640 Solomon P. Ortiz (D- TX) 202/225-7742 Stephanie Herseth (D-SD) 202/225-6631 Neil Abercrombie, (D-HI) 202/225-2726 Brad Carson, (D-OK) 202/225-2701 Joe Baca, (D-CA) 202/225-6161 Calvin M. Dooley, (D-CA) 202/225-3341 George Miller, (D-CA) 202/225-2095 Grace F. Napolitano, (D-CA) 202/225-5256 Nick Rahall (R-WV) 202/225-6065 Jay Inslee, (D-WA) 202/225-6311 Tom Udall, (D NM) 202/225-6190 Mark Udall, (D-CO) 202/225-2161 Dale E. Kildee(R-MI) 202/225-3611 Ron Kind, (D-WI) 202/225-5506 Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ) 202/225-4671 Raúl M. Grijalva, (D-AZ) 202/225-2435 Edward J. Markey, (D-MA) 202/225-2836 Lois Norrgard American Lands Alliance / Upper Midwest 952-881-7282 Lisa Dix National Forest Program Director American Lands Alliance ldix@americanlands.org Ph: 202-547-9105; Fax: 202-547-9213