Stop Extinction Blog

Buried For Cheap Coal

2012-01-30T06:40:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Tierra R. Curry, M.S. a Conservation Biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Photo credit Conservation Fisheries, Inc

The Kentucky arrow darter is literally being blown up and buried for cheap coal. The darter is a handsome brightly colored fish that is found in only six counties in the Appalachian Mountains in southeastern Kentucky. Unfortunately for this newly discovered species, its entire range is within an area that is being devastated by mountaintop removal coal mining. Mountaintop removal is a radical form of mining where coal companies dynamite the tops off of mountains and then dump the waste directly into nearby streams, permanently filling in the stream and poisoning downstream wildlife. More than 2,000 miles of streams and 500 mountains have already been destroyed. The pollution from mountaintop removal is toxic for aquatic animals and has been linked to cancer and birth defects in humans. In some counties in eastern Kentucky, nearly one-quarter of the total land area of the county is under open permit for surface mining.

Coal mining has already extirpated the Kentucky arrow darter from more than half of its range. It is a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act, but this status does not provide real protection for the fish or its habitat. The headwater streams that are home to the Kentucky arrow darter are biologically rich and are a source of drinking water for people.

Darters are exceptionally interesting fish. During the mating season male arrow darters become showy, and change from pale yellow and green to bright colors with blue, green, orange and scarlet spots and stripes. They undergo elaborate courtship rituals involving dashing, nudging and quivering. Parental care is generally rare in fish, but male darters establish territories and then defend their nests until the eggs have hatched.

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently taken some steps to attempt to reduce water quality degradation caused by mountaintop removal in Appalachia, but the agency’s efforts to curb the practice are under political attack in Washington. The coal industry and their politicians claim that mining is essential to the economy of Kentucky, but the bleak reality is that the counties with the most mining remain among the poorest counties in the nation. The highly mechanized mining employs few people and keeps the region locked in poverty. Mountaintop removal caused the loss of thousands of mining jobs and prevents a sustainable economy from developing. Mountaintop removal threatens the survival of the Kentucky arrow darter as well as the health and culture of mountain communities.

________________________

Take action for the Kentucky arrow darter!
Ask the Obama Administration to close the mining waste loophole.

Fueling Extinction

2012-01-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

Just as we were putting the finishing touches on a new report, Fueling Extinction, the Obama administration delivered some really big news--the State Department rejected TransCanada's request to build the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Whooping crane credit fws

As we've written here previously, the Keystone XL Pipeline could have been catastrophic for one of our nation's most endangered species, the whooping crane. This now-rejected pipeline is a tragic illustration of a simple fact: Fossil fuels are killing wildlife and putting the planet at unprecedented risk.

In continuing to use dirty fossil fuels, we are fueling extinction.

In the report, Fueling Extinction, the Endangered Species Coalition and participating member organizations highlight the top ten U.S. species threatened by fossil fuels in addition to the activists choice of the polar bear. These species range from a bivalve (tan riffleshell) to a rare wildflower (Graham's penstemon) to the bowhead whale.

Bowhead whale credit FWS

These diverse species all have at least one thing in common. They're being driven closer to the edge of extinction by our nation's continued reliance on energy sources produced in the age of dinosaurs.

Polar bears are seeing their habitat melt from beneath them, while facing a new threat in the form of Arctic drilling. Endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles still recovering from the Gulf spill, are uniquely vulnerable to threats from oil and gas development. Greater sage-grouse have seen their range-wide abundance decrease between 69-99 percent from historic levels due in large part to habitat loss from oil and gas development.

Please take a few moments and read the entire report, Fueling Extinction, to learn more about the impacts of dirty fossil fuels on our nation's most imperiled plants, birds, fish and wildlife.

Welcoming Wolves Back To California

2012-01-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

OR7 Photo Credit Allen Daniels

On December 29th, 2011 the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced that an endangered gray wolf wandered into California from southern Oregon. For anyone who appreciates wildlife, or has followed the very successful recovery of the gray wolf in the northern Rockies, this is an historic event because it marks the first confirmed gray wolf in our state since the last wild gray wolf was killed in Lassen County in 1924.

OR7's travels

The wolf is OR7, a 2 ½ -year-old male gray wolf fitted with a Global Positioning Device (GPS) collar by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. He has been on quite a walkabout since early Fall when he dispersed from the Imnaha pack in Northeast Oregon. It is estimated he has covered more than 700 miles on his trek through Oregon’s protected and unprotected landscape- a journey which now includes a visit into our state.

My own interest in wolves began in 2003 when I was a volunteer with the Nez Perce Tribe/US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on the gray wolf reintroduction project in central Idaho. Working with an agency biologist I would spend the long summer days in Idaho’s vast backcountry attempting to locate established wolf packs, confirm reproduction, and occasionally attempt to trap and radio collar individual animals. We observed wolves very infrequently but when we heard their howls or had an occasional glimpse, it was an unforgettable moment. OR7’s mother, B300, was born in Idaho where she dispersed from the Timberline pack in 2008. She swam across the Snake River to reach Oregon and establish the Imnaha pack. It is thrilling for me to know wolves are reclaiming their rightful place in the landscape of the Pacific Northwest.

Barry Braden releasing
Mexican Gray Wolf in 2006.

The recovery of wolves, California condors, bald eagles, grizzly bears, and so many other critically endangered animal and plant species, would not have been possible without the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA is not just a strong environmental law - it also articulates a noble vision. In it, for the first time in world history, the legislators of a great nation said that it would do everything in its power to prevent the extinction of any species within its border. The ESA was originally passed by Congress in 1973 with overwhelming bipartisan support, including a 92-0 vote in the Senate, and was signed into law 38 years ago on December 28th by President Richard M. Nixon. The strength of this commitment represents the best of who we are as a people. Unfortunately, the current political climate brings ongoing challenges to the ESA- and many of the other laws designed to protect our environment- from the fringes of both major political parties. The Endangered Species Coalition and our 400+ member groups are one hundred percent dedicated to ensuring the ESA remains the law of the land and maintains the noble vision of a Congress and President united almost 40 years ago to stop extinction.

No one knows where OR7’s travels will take him next. He is likely in search of a mate but it is unlikely he will find a female wolf on our side of the border. However, it is certain that others will eventually follow his path. OR7 has made it possible for us to imagine a day when viable wolf packs inhabit areas of California where suitable habitat remains, restoring ecological integrity to some of our state’s best wild places. I know I speak for all who are represented by the Coalition when I say “Welcome to California OR7”!

________________________________________________

This post was written by Barry Braden, a member of the Endangered Species Coalition Board of Directors.

A Cry for the Tiger

2011-12-09T10:56:00.001-08:00

The following is a guest post from National Geographic Magazine highlighting the severe decline of the tiger. In the early part of last century, there were around 100,000 tigers throughout their range. Today, fewer than 4,000 of these big cats remain in the wild and at least 3 of the 9 tiger subspecies are already extinct. As with many species worldwide, tigers are being pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss, poaching and climate change.

By Caroline Alexander

Photographs by Steve Winter

We have the means to save the mightiest cat on Earth. But do we have the will?

A tiger peers at a camera trap it triggered while hunting in the early

morning in the forests of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Tigers can thrive in

many habitats, from the frigid Himalaya to tropical mangrove

swamps in India and Bangladesh. ©Steve Winter/National Geographic

The tiger. Panthera tigris, largest of all the big cats, to which even biological terminology defers with awed expressions like "apex predator," "charismatic megafauna," "umbrella species." One of the most formidable carnivores on the planet, and yet, amber-coated and patterned with black flames, one of the most beautiful of creatures.

Consider the tiger, how he is formed. With claws up to four inches long and retractable, like a domestic cat's, and carnassial teeth that shatter bone. While able to achieve bursts above 35 miles an hour, the tiger is built for strength, not sustained speed. Short, powerful legs propel his trademark lethal lunge and fabled leaps. Recently, a tiger was captured on video jumping—flying—from flat ground to 13 feet in the air to attack a ranger riding an elephant. The eye of the tiger is backlit by a membrane that reflects light through the retina, the secret of his famous night vision and glowing night eyes. The roar of the tiger—Aaaaauuuunnnn!—can carry more than a mile.


A mother rests with her two-month old in Bandhavgarh National Park,where—contrary to the global trend—managers have built up tiger numbers. Compensation for loss of life caused by cats outside the park gives villagers some consolation. ©Steve Winter/ National Geographic

For weeks I had been traveling through some of the best tiger habitat in Asia, from remote forests to tropical woodlands and, on a previous trip, to mangrove swamps—but never before had I seen a tiger. Partly this was because of the animal's legendarily secretive nature. The tiger is powerful enough to kill and drag prey five times its weight, yet it can move through high grass, forest, and even water in unnerving silence. The common refrain of those who have witnessed—or survived—an attack is that the tiger "came from nowhere."

But the other reason for the dearth of sightings is that the ideal tiger landscapes have very few tigers. The tiger has been a threatened species for most of my lifetime, and its rareness has come to be regarded matter-of-factly, as an intrinsic, defining attribute, like its dramatic coloring. The complacent view that the tiger will continue to be "rare" or "threatened" into the foreseeable future is no longer tenable. In the early 21st century, tigers in the wild face the black abyss of annihilation. "This is about making decisions as if we're in an emergency room," says Tom Kaplan, co-founder of Panthera, an organization dedicated to big cats. "This is it."

The tiger's enemies are well-known: Loss of habitat exacerbated by exploding human populations, poverty—which induces poaching of prey animals—and looming over all, the dark threat of the brutal Chinese black market for tiger parts.

Read more...

The photos are in the December 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine, on newsstands now.

I have seen the future – and it works!

2011-11-30T11:41:00.001-08:00

By Brock Evans

President

Endangered Species Coalition

The occasion was the event billed as a Rally Against the Proposed Keystone (‘Tar Sands’) Pipeline, slated to run 1700 miles from far northern Canada to Houston Texas – its oil there to be refined, and sold abroad.

November 6 was the date of this, my Opening to the Future. The Rally was to be held at Lafayette Square, right across from the White House. Its purpose was to protest the environmental dangers of this pipeline, and the even worse earth-and-atmospheric abuses involved in its brutal extraction process, sited in the wildlife-rich Canadian Boreal Forest zone. The message was to President Obama, and it would say “Do Not allow Big Oil to build this monstrosity – and all it represents -- across our own country.”

This was to be no ordinary protest, of which we see many each year here in the capital. This time we were going to encircle the White House, the whole thing, grounds and all – with a fence of human arms and hands. That’s something that hadn’t even been attempted for decades.

“Human arms and human hands… cannot be done except by many thousands,” I thought rather gloomily to myself as I journeyed downtown that bright sun-filled Sunday afternoon. “Thousands and thousands of people; no likely way!”

I did not expect much; just knew I had to be there… take a stand, bear witness against what I have always considered to be one of the greatest of all the assaults on our lovely little planet. Not the least of these was this monstrous project’s utter destruction of, and potential future damage to, endangered species. For example, the endangered whooping crane makes its summer nesting grounds in those same boreal forests and wetlands which are being so harshly logged off, ripped out, its marshes and meadows filled with toxic pollutants. The proposed pipeline -- almost eerily – closely follows the crane’s migration route, as they return to Texas each year. And that’s only a part of what’s so wrong, so unacceptable about this one, I thought.

I confess I did not expect any dramatic outcome, or even a particularly major event itself, this time. I just knew I had to be there, no matter what.

I was stunned and delighted by what it actually was, even more by what it became. When I arrived the Square was already over half-filled; and the people kept coming, in their thousands – especially the younger people. My heart opened up – stirred as much by the feeling of the crowd, as by the eloquence of numerous passionate speakers, from all parts of US and Canadian society – each detailing why this was a wrong idea, a Bad Thing.

The huge crowd roared and cheered at just about every phrase, waving hundreds of mostly hand-lettered signs. As the Square continued to fill, its overflow started to file, in a solid column 10-15 deep, across Pennsylvania Avenue, around the Treasury Building, down 15th Street. Borne along by the crowd, I looked across its massed ranks and saw one of those signs – held high – an endangered species sign, about the whooping crane, and in the name of the Endangered Species Coalition! My own issue, my own people! I thought. Who can that be? Honing in on that placard as my beacon, twisting and turning, until I could get close enough – there was Mitch Merry, our young Online Organizer, and his girlfriend.

Hugs all around, and we marched happily together, down 15th street. But the crowd was so great we had to separate, looking for an open spot to link hands. Mitch had two signs, so I gladly took one.

Brock Evans

I kept on walking, down past row upon row of linked hands, looking for an empty place. But there were none; the other half of the crowd had crossed Pennsylvania Avenue the other way – west, down 17th street and past the Old Executive Office Building, there to link up at the far southern end of the White House grounds, on the Ellipse. And they had already arrived, at least 6-8 rows deep even at that distance from the beginning at Lafayette Square..

There was so much more, that giddy, perfect, crystal-blue, happy day. There are photographs of it, which capture its outward essence – which was the crowd itself. I only wish there had been some way to also capture its inner essence too.

This essence, and the secret of the whole thing, was in two parts. First, the sounds: the calls and response, the variety of the chants, the drummings, the happy rumblings from 10-12,000 committed people, all there for one common cause.

And second, the smiles. The smiles on everyone’s face.

For that was the best of it and that is most of why I now feel so much faith in the Future, however scary it seems sometimes. It was the smiles, the plain unadulterated happiness out there, filling the whole air. Happiness, yes, Happiness, that at last our side was fighting back; taking on Big Oil; pushing back publicly and hard. Happiness, that there were so many of us, and the happiness of actually seeing each other there, all together… the happiness of knowing that we who care about this earth are nowhere near as alone as sometimes it seems portrayed in the media.

And that greatest of all happinesses, I think – the happiness of knowing that we CAN do it – we can win. (“Yes We Can”, one of the President’s campaign phrases, was one of the most commonly heard chants).

And my own personal happiness – for me, the greatest of all: the younger ones, the young people, there in their thousands and their thousands. Their energy, passion, commitment, could just be felt, everywhere, out there in the air -- everywhere. And that, for me, is the happiness of knowing, now for sure, that there is hope – much hope – for the future.

I know this now, I have seen it. Because the young ones were there, and they are claiming that future. What a blessing I thought then to myself… to have lived long enough to witness, and to be a part of this moment, and at this time and in this place.

-Brock Evans
www.endlesspressure.org

Going After the One Percent

2011-11-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

In what is ostensibly an effort to address the nation's budgetary woes, Congress is going after the one percent. No, not that one percent. Some in Congress are targeting the one percent of the federal budget that is allocated to all land, water, ocean, and wildlife programs to try to make ends meet.

Image credit Flickr user Neelob

The House Interior, Environment, and related Agencies appropriations bill (HR 2584) calls for a variety of potentially devastating cuts to wildlife and conservation programs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is targeted for the worst cuts, potentially reducing it by nearly 21 percent.

By slashing budgets for wildlife, Congress is putting our natural resources -- and our economy -- at unnecessary risk.

Major programs at 128 national wildlife refuges would be closed or eliminated, costing hundreds of jobs and putting critical habitat at risk.
Endangered Species Act (ESA) programs would be cut by more than 20 percent. Included in these cuts is a call to zero out the ESA listing account, preventing FWS from listing any new species regardless of their status. Not only would this put species at greater risk of extinction, but it would ultimately result in greater expense to taxpayers by waiting until these species further languish to grant protections.
Programs to support migratory birds, international species, FWS law enforcement that prevents poaching and smuggling and grants to help cash-strapped states protect species would all be impacted.

Americans value wildlife and support conservation measures. We spend more than $120 billion yearly pursuing wildlife related recreation. The ability to continue to enjoy our unique natural treasures, in addition to this economic benefit, is placed at risk by these cuts.

A recent poll commissioned by the Endangered Species Coalition found that the majority of Americans support the Endangered Species Act (84%) and believe decisions about whether to remove the Endangered Species Act’s protections should be based on science, not politics (63%). Using funding bills to attack regulations that safeguard our nation's wildlife is not what the public wants and it's potentially disastrous for wildlife.

Take action to stop this attack on wildlife funding. Send your Representative and Senators an email today.

Help Stop a Bat-killer

2011-10-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Bat populations are being decimated by a mysterious and incredibly deadly killer. The infectious disease White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed more than one million bats and is spreading unchecked across the United States.

Image credit FWS.gov

Since first being discovered in 2006 by a caver in New York state, WNS has affected bats in 16 states and 4 Canadian provinces. Bats infected with WNS are often found with a white substance on their muzzles or other parts of their bodies and dangerously low body fat. The disease seems to confuse infected bats as they fly during the day and during cold winter weather when the insects they feed upon are not available, rapidly depleting stored body fat.

WNS appears to prefer hibernating species of bats but each of the 45 species of bats in North America may be at risk if a solution isn't soon found.

Fist found in New York, the disease has spread as far west as Oklahoma and is already threatening local extinctions of some species. Endangered species such as the Indiana and gray could be at particular long term risk.

This catastrophic decline of an important species has far-reaching impacts as bats control insects that damage crops and carry disease. A recent study published in Science magazine estimates that the value of pest control provided by bats each year is at least $3.7 billion.

USGS Scientists recently identified the fungus Geomyces destructans as the culprit behind WNS but much more research needs to be done to develop a means of controlling this deadly disease. We are asking President Obama to include urgently needed funding for White Nose Syndrome research in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget to stop this killer before it pushes vulnerable bat species closer to extinction.

Please help protect bats by telling President Obama to fund the fight against White Nose Syndrome at the White House's petition site, "We the People". The November 25 deadline is just around the corner! Spread the word by asking your friends and family to sign on, too.

World Animal Day: A 13th Century Saint Meets 21st Century Challenges

2011-10-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

This is a guest blog from Shelly Roder and John Celichowski in celebration of World Animal Day.

Many backyard gardens feature a statue of a slight man dressed in rags. His sinewy and outstretched arms form a perfect perch for a bird or two. A rabbit and sometimes even a wolf are often shown sitting at his sandaled feet. The man is Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology, who died 785 years ago this October 3 at age 45.

This weekend many churches throughout world, Protestant as well as Catholic, will celebrate the legacy of St. Francis by opening their doors to bless Fido, Fluffy, and friends. It is a sweet ritual, this blessing of pets from goldfish to pot-bellied pigs. For many, however, this custom begs the question: What is the connection between an itinerant medieval preacher and ascetic and house pets and gardens?

Francis had a vision and spiritual understanding of creation that was radical for its time and in many respects remains so today. A son of the city of Assisi as well as the verdant Umbrian countryside that surrounded it, Francis expressed his deep devotion to the earth and her creatures by preaching about them as part of a larger communion that reflected the goodness, love and power of their Creator. Francis taught his followers that human beings are brothers and sisters not only to each other but to the sun, moon, fire, wind, water and the animals, too.

Francis taught that because of our profound relationships with Brother Sun, Sister Water and others, we are required to repair any ruptures that exist in those relationships. One story recalls how Francis brokered a deal between the people of Gubbio and a wolf whose severe hunger led him to threaten the townsfolk and eat their livestock. The people agreed to feed Brother Wolf in exchange for his protection. Peace ensued as their terrorist became their guardian and friend.

Nearly eight centuries later we frequently hear about the ways in which our relationship with our sister, Mother Earth, is suffering. Oil spills from the Gulf of Mexico to the rivers of Montana and Michigan threaten water, fish, birds, shores, and livelihoods. Carbon emissions from fossil fuel diminish the quality of the air we breathe and contribute to climate change. Human well-being and the lives of many species are at-risk because of our broken relationship with creation.

As Franciscans, we believe that we can work to mend these relationships by driving our cars less and using public transportation more; eating locally produced foods; buying less and reusing more; investing in energy-saving appliances and devices, and recycling. This conservation makes even more sense as tens of millions of our fellow Americans living in a shaky global economy and at a time of high unemployment are trying to do more with less.

At the same time, we can encourage our elected officials to be Franciscan conservatives as well as fiscal ones and to be as concerned with protecting and conserving our natural resources and wildlife as they are to the bottom lines of their corporate campaign contributors. This year on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi we have just such an opportunity.

A proposal pending approval by President Obama would allow the construction of an oil pipeline through sensitive habitats from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The Keystone XL Pipeline, would trace the same route used by migrating Whooping cranes, one of the world’s most endangered birds. Sister Whooping Crane, along with as many as 10 other imperiled animals would suffer if the pipeline is approved . The President will decide soon.. Meanwhile, Congress is considering an unprecedented number of attempts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, the safety net that has successfully protected the bald eagle, the gray whale, the Florida panther and many more from the brink of extinction. We hope that the President and Congress will consider the teachings of St. Francis in making their decisions.

On the feast of St. Francis, as many get their pets blessed at local churches we hope that you will also extend a blessing to those animals who are threatened with extinction by doing your part to protect their habitat. Economic development and energy independence inevitably demand some trade-offs. With courage, creativity, and commitment they need not also demand selling out our brothers and sisters.

Shelly Roder is the Co-Director of the Capuchin Franciscan Volunteer Corps (Cap Corps). She lives in Milwaukee with her husband, Joe Halaiko, and children Sylvia and Jacob. Rev. John Celichowski, a friar and priest, is Provincial Minister of the CapuchinProvince of St. Joseph (Detroit).

What do wild salmon, failed nuclear plants, and Google have in common?

2011-09-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is a guest blog from ESC Member Organization Save Our Wild Salmon.

They all play a role in how the hugely complex Federal Columbia River Power System – and the agency that runs it, the Bonneville Power Administration – makes and spends money.

That was the take-home message from a hearing held September 22nd in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power about a controversial bill, the Endangered Species Compliance and Transparency Act, or HR 1719. The legislation would require federal power agencies such as Bonneville to estimate and report their direct and indirect costs of complying with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

While the bill is veiled in consumer “right-to-know” language, here’s what consumers should really know: this bill isn’t about transparency. Instead, HR 1719 would only create confusion (and perhaps ill-will toward protecting fish and wildlife) by distorting costs associated with ESA compliance.

NW Energy Coalition executive director Sara Patton was among the witnesses who testified at yesterday’s hearing, and described HR 1719 as unnecessary (ESA costs are already readily available to utilities and members of the public from both BPA and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council); one-sided (it would only require the reporting of ESA costs, and not the immense benefits associated with fish and wildlife protection); and virtually impossible to implement (BPA is obligated by a myriad of federal laws and treaties to restore fish and wildlife; HR 1719 proposes no way to distinguish which costs are specifically linked to meeting the requirements of the ESA).

But perhaps most alarmingly, H.R. 1719 codifies a kind of “black market” accounting: by including indirect costs like foregone revenue associated with legally-required salmon protection measures (such as spilling water over the dams to help young fish reach the ocean), the bill states that BPA is entitled to money it could have earned had it violated federal law (a highly controversial practice that BPA currently employs). In other words, under H.R. 1719, power administrations would be entitled to claim lost revenue from power that’s illegal to generate in the first place. Plus, the inclusion of foregone revenue in ESA costs creates the very false impression that these costs are far higher than they are in real life. Salmon have it tough enough already; they don’t need fuzzy math and phantom kilowatts muddying the waters even further.

But enough about what HR 1719 would do…let’s talk for a moment about what it wouldn’t do. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, captured the bill’s shortcomings perfectly when he asked the witnesses whether any of BPA’s other big-ticket items should be spelled out on utilities’ monthly power bills – after all, if we’re trying to inform consumers about their electricity costs, we should make sure all the relevant information is available to them. As Rep. Markey pointed out, this should include BPA’s payments to retire the massive debt it absorbed when Washington State’s nuclear power system (“WPPSS”) collapsed under its own weight in the 1980s, a sum that clocks in at about $550 million a year, with almost $6 billion in debt still outstanding. But when asked if BPA’s utility customers should receive this information on their monthly bills, two of the panel’s witnesses (who testified in support of HR 1719, citing the importance of transparency) demurred, saying they weren’t prepared to support the inclusion of any other costs beyond those associated with ESA compliance. This laser-like focus on ESA costs to the exclusion of all others begs the question: does HR 1719 have an anti-ESA bias? Just sayin’.

Rep. Markey grappled with this possibility by noting the recent migration of hi-tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, to the Pacific Northwest. An excellent example is Google’s decision to site its power-thirsty server farm in The Dalles, where it has easy access to some of the most affordable electricity in the United States: BPA-marketed power from the Columbia River dams. Rep. Markey asked NWEC’s Sara Patton, “Have you heard Google complain about the Endangered Species Act?” to which Ms. Patton replied, “Not once.” Indeed, even with its investments in fish and wildlife protection, BPA provides electricity at rates that are the envy of the nation.

Here's the video:

Efforts to blame the Endangered Species Act for economic woes (or jacked-up power rates) are as old as the Act itself. And like most every other instance of species scapegoating, HR 1719 comes no closer to reality. Salmon restoration is an integral part of BPA’s responsibilities, and a shared goal of all Northwesterners. Distorting costs and confusing consumers will only get in the way of reaching that goal. For that reason alone, HR 1719 should get mothballed along with Washington’s old, failed nuclear plants.

Gilly Lyons is the Senior Policy Analyst for the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition.

Idaho Congressional Delegation Jumps the Gun on Grizzlies

2011-09-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

By Derek Goldman
Field Representative
Endangered Species Coalition

The town of Porthill, Idaho lies along the Kootenai River, about 20 miles north of Bonners Ferry. Porthill is about as close you can get to Canada without actually crossing the border. It is also the home of Jeremy Hill, a man who shot a two-year old grizzly bear on his property last May. Mr. Hill claimed to have shot the bear after it and two others went after one of his pigs in his yard. Mr. Hill reported that he grabbed his gun when he saw the bears and realized that his children were outside the house playing in the yard.

The Endangered Species Act has provisions that allow an exception to its probation on lethal “take” of listed species in the case of self-defense, and the facts and testimony in the Jeremy Hill certainly make a self-defense claim seem plausible. However, on August 8, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, after investigating the incident, decided to file charges against Mr. Hill. He was facing a year in jail and/or a fine of up to $50,000.

The Idaho Panhandle has long been a hotbed of radical, anti-government sentiment, and predictably, folks in the region rallied to Mr. Hill’s defense, and quickly propelled the husband and father of six into a cause-célèbre for the anti-Endangered Species Act types (and the anti-federal government movement, generally). Also predictably, long-time ESA foes like Idaho Governor Butch Otter got into the act, using Mr. Hill’s unfortunate situation to push his agenda. Subsequently, the government agreed to drop its charges in exchange for Mr. Hill agreeing to a fine of $1,000.

Although the government dropped charges against Mr. Hill in early September, the political grandstanding escalated again last week when all four members of Idaho’s Congressional delegation, citing the Hill incident, introduced legislation to amend the Endangered Species Act to clarify that people have right to self-defense.

Now here is where things get interesting. The ink was barely dry on the Senators’ press release (which noted that their bill would make a “drastic improvement” over current ESA law), when a savvy reporter at the Spokane Spokesman-Review looked up the Act, and discovered that the self-defense language proposed by the bill sponsors ALREADY EXISTED, ALMOST VERBATIM in current Endangered Species Act statute. Here is her analysis. Apparently some politicians were so quick to seize upon an opportunity to bash the Endangered Species Act that they forgot to actually read it first!

In fact, the Endangered Species Act is very flexible and (the few times it happens) the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service routinely gives folks who have shot a grizzly bear the benefit of the doubt on self-defense claims. I have no idea what facts and evidence the Service uncovered in its investigation, but why – out of all the dozen or so dubious grizzly bear shootings that occur each year in the Northern Rockies – the government decided to file charges in this case is a mystery to me.

Keystone Pipeline Could Push Endangered Whooping Crane Into Extinction

2011-09-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you were to choose a route through which to move toxic, highly corrosive, sludgy crude oil, would you place it on the same narrow corridor used by one of the world’s most endangered birds? The Canadian energy company TransCanada did and the Obama administration is on the verge of approving that absurd proposal.

Keystone XL Proposed Route

If approved by the administration, the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline will move a half million+ barrels daily of Canadian crude 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada to the Texas coast as soon as 2013. TransCanada would like the world to believe that their pipeline is relatively safe, claiming just one predicted spill in the first 7 years. Yet, TransCanada’s existing Keystone Pipeline has experienced 12 spills – in just 12 months of operation.

Whooping Crane Migration Route

Despite assurances by pipeline operators, spills continue. The July spill of a much smaller pipeline under the Yellowstone River in Montana released 1,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone. The Keystone XL would be 3 times as large, carrying 600,000 of oil per day. There have been five major pipeline spills in the United States in the last 24 months. Adding nearly 2,000 miles of high-pressure pipeline carrying one of the most corrosive and dirty fuels known to man is a disaster in the making.

That doesn’t sound safe, particularly not for the one of the most highly endangered birds in the world—the Whooping crane. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) calls the Whooping crane one of the most famous symbols of America’s dedication to saving its wild national heritage. Unfortunately for the crane, however, it uses the same 1,700-mile route as the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline.

image credit USFWS

Whooping cranes follow the proposed path of the pipeline annually each spring, as they migrate from Texas to their breeding grounds in Canada. Along the way, they depend on the rivers, marshes, wetlands and streams for stopover and feeding habitat. Since the pipeline’s proposed route crosses many of these habitats—including the Platte River in Nebraska, one of the most important feeding and resting locations—miles of these critical stopping points would be at risk of being fouled with sludgy, toxic tar-sands oil every day of the year.

Scientists are deeply concerned about the potential harm to Whooping Cranes. The Society for Conservation Biology—the world’s largest international conservation science society—has recently released a press release sounding the alarm about the cranes. For instance, a recent report found that a major spill on the Platte River could result in 5.9 million gallons of toxic, corrosive tar-sands oil being dumped into the Platte. A worst-case scenario per their research would result in nearly 8 million gallons of oil being spilled. A catastrophe of this magnitude would almost certainly decimate wildlife and potentially all that remains of this population of whooping cranes—just 74 breeding pairs.

Deepwater Horizon mercilessly demonstrated the near impossible task of cleaning oil from a marsh or wetland. And this oil—tar-sands oil—is much more corrosive, toxic and difficult to clean up. Once coated with sticky oil, the birds would be unable to insulate and regulate their temperatures and could slowly die from hypothermia or acute toxicity. Imagine the brown pelicans in the Gulf but with much thicker oil (and much more endangered birds).

In addition to the grave risk of catastrophic spill, whooping cranes would be put at still further risk by the installation of aerial power lines that would be constructed to power pumping stations on the proposed pipeline route. Collisions with power lines are already the largest known cause of death for migrating Whooping cranes. This proposal would result in hundreds more miles of aerial lines throughout the birds’ migrating path, compounding the likelihood of disaster. These aerial lines won’t be built without the pipeline and the pipeline won’t be built without them.

This pipeline simply cannot be built without putting the whooping crane and as many as 10 other endangered species at great and unnecessary peril. Despite that, the State department recently published its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) asserting that there would be no significant impacts along the proposed corridor. Alarmingly, the State Department declined to include any analysis from the soon to be completed USFWS biological opinion regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline. In doing so, the State Department has completely ignored the impacts of the proposed pipeline on the highly endangered Whooping crane and in so doing, ignored the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.

The Obama administration could announce its decision whether to block this remarkably flawed proposal at any time. The White House needs to hear from you. Please go to stopextinction.org to tell the President to block the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Let’s Get Rid of Regulations - Wait a Minute!

2011-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Mark Rockwell

California State Representative

Endangered Species Coalition

To listen to Congress today, at least from one side, you would think that federal regulations are the source of our economic plight, and is the one major cause of our weak economy, and lack of recovery. After all, they claim, it is regulations that always get in the way of business activity, and prevent free enterprise from doing what they do best - create products and jobs. Of course, it seems to many that the focus of these attacks are on regulations that protect the environment, be it fish and wildlife (Endangered Species Act), or clean water and air (Environmental Protection Agency enforcement of the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts).

Well, let’s look back and think about why we have regulations in the first place. At times in our illustrious past we have seen the impacts of over-indulgence from business. In California, for instance, in the 1850s and the gold rush, miners literally destroyed rivers and streams, and even diverted huge quantities of water to wash away hillsides (Placer mining) to wash out and find gold. This action created huge siltation problems that destroyed water quality for farming, killed spawning fish and their off-spring, and caused flooding in the valley. Alas, the state stepped in and blocked this type of mining, but after the damage was done. Mercury was also used to extract gold, and today mercury contamination is a huge health risk to people and wildlife, more than 150 years later. State and Federal regulations on mining have stopped these impacts.

I can remember as a child growing up in the Los Angeles basin and the terrible smog created by pollution from cars and industrial activity. It was so bad that you could not see hills less than 1/4 mile away because of the smog. It caused huge health problems to residents, and heralded in the era of respiratory illnesses like asthma, bronchitis and other lung diseases. Additionally, whole forests in the local mountains began to die from the effects of the air pollution. Again, it was state regulations that began to mandate changes from the auto industry, and soot emitting business, that eventually helped to improve the situation , and reduce the killing impacts to people and vegetation.

Can anyone remember the river in Ohio (Cuyahoga River) that spontaneously ignited in flames as a result of the high level of combustible fluids poured into the river from industry? Time Magazine said, “Some river! Chocolate-brown, oily, bubbling with sub-surface gases. It oozes rather than flows.” It was a national headline item, and a national disgrace. People asked, “how could this happen in America?” Many rivers were so polluted that it was unsafe to swim in them, and it killed all the fish and other aquatic wildlife. The Chesapeak Bay, rivers around Pittsburg including the Ohio River, as well as many big cities in the Northeast all suffered from river pollution that was causing death and illness.

Do you remember the book, Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson? It was a book about pesticides in our environment that were causing the “silent” death of our wildlife, especially birds. A major focus was DDT, a pesticide used to kill mosquitos, but its impact was great on birds and wildlife. As it turned out, it caused bird egg shells to become thin and break in the process of incubation. As a result we nearly lost the Bald Eagle, our national symbol. Thanks to Rachel, we became aware of the impacts of man-made compounds in our world, their impacts on us, and the fish and wildlife around us..

So, what does that have to do with regulations? Well, it was public and Congressional awareness and outcry that lead to the development of federal laws to protect us from these types of harmful outcomes. Here are a few laws that were created for our benefit:

• Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 - This law was created to keep us from actions that would lead to the extinction of fish, plants, animals and birds in our world. It does not block economic activity, but does call for evaluation before action is taken to understand what impacts would happen to fish and wildlife. It only applies to actions involving the federal agencies, and if the impacts are bad (lead to great harm) then the agency will recommend a “preferred” action so the harm can be reduced or avoided. The ESA does not block economic activity, but may require changes in a developed plan.

• Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972- This law came from the “burning river” and other similar conditions primarily in the east, more industrialized areas of the country. It is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is tasked with protecting public health impacts from pollutants released into our waterways.

• Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1963 and 1970 - Another law created by Congress as a result of worsening conditions in areas like Los Angeles, and other major cities, especially those where heavy industry was present. Much of the pollution in the air came from business and industrial activity, either directly from business themselves, or the products of those businesses. Again, it is the Environmental Protection Agency tasked with enforcing and creating protections for human health.

Do we need regulations? Well only if we want to be able to pass along a country that is suitable for our children and grandchildren. Only if we want our families to be able to live in a healthy place, with clean water and air. Only if we feel having birds, fish, bears, bugs, etc. is important to our lives, and the lives of our communities. There is little doubt that the American public has weighed in long ago on all this. With an over-whelming vote of confidence did the public agree that these agencies and the regulations used to protect us were necessary. Citizens agreed that protections of our fish and wildlife, water and air were all important to our wonderful country.

It is important to remember - regulations are there to protect us from abuses, be they for personal gain, or business advantage. Our collective health is worth the extra expense and effort required. Future generations, including our grandchildren, will thank us.

Excellent News for Endangered Species! Extinction Rider Defeated in House

2011-07-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

The U.S. House of Representatives today averted what would have been the greatest threat to the Endangered Species Act in recent history.

An amendment to the House Interior Appropriations bill (HR 2584) introduced by Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) and co-sponsored by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) struck a radical provision that would have pushed hundreds of species closer to extinction.

The now relegated proposal, dubbed the Extinction Rider, would have slashed protections for wildlife and debilitated the statutory power of the Endangered Species Act by standing in the way of protections for species and their habitat.

Species including Pacific Walruses, Wolverines, and Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout would have been denied needed protections under the Act.

The Dicks-Fitzpatrick-Thompson-Hanabusa Amendment passed the full House 224-202 marking an enormous win for wildlife against entrenched big money special interests. Thank you to everyone who took action by contacting their Representative opposing the Extinction Rider!

Visit our website to find out if your Representative voted for the Extinction Rider and send them an email thanking them, or asking them to do better next time.

House Spending Bill Could Cripple Endangered Species Protections

2011-07-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

The summer of 2011 is turning into a prolonged, multifrontal assault on America's imperiled species and the Endangered Species Act.

Recently, we wrote about a plan by the State of Wyoming to allow for unlicensed and virtually unlimited hunting of wolves. Less than a week after that news broke, the House Appropriations Committee gave the thumbs up to an Interior Appropriations Bill that would not only grant that disastrous plan exemption from judicial review but would effectively cripple the Endangered Species Act.

Under the proposed bill, de-listings of gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes States and Wyoming would be conducted completely outside the watchful eye of the courts. This end-run around the democratic process would enable states and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to craft potentially flawed policy without recourse, undercutting our nation's system of checks and balances.

Another legislative proposal, or "rider", would bar the FWS from adding any new species to the Endangered Species List or granting critical habitat protections to species already protected under the Act. The so-called "Extinction Rider" would also prevent FWS from upgrading the status of struggling species from threatened to endangered. This proposal would preclude FWS from addressing the backlog of more than 260 species it's already determined warrant protections but are in the gray area of "candidate species" designation for lack of resources. Wolverines, Pacific Walrus and Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout would all slip closer to extinction under this plan.

Still more riders would effectively eliminate the ability of the Endangered Species Act to protect imperiled species from poisons such as pesticides and eliminate nearly all protections for the fewer than 8,000 bighorn sheep left in the United States.

Taken together, these riders constitute the most sweeping attempt to debilitate the Endangered Species Act in recent history.

Representatives Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) have introduced an amendment to the bill to strike the "Extinction Rider". Please contact your Member of Congress today and urge that they vote in favor of the Dicks-Thompson Amendment to defend the Endangered Species Act.

Salazar Agrees to Shoot-On-Sight Wolf Plan

2011-07-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last week, the new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Wyoming's governor held a press conference to announce that they'd agreed in principle to a deal to remove federal protections for wolves in the state.

While the plan has yet to be formally approved, the tentative endorsement by Secretary Salazar is ominous news for Wyoming's estimated 343 wolves. If approved, it would treat wolves as a nuisance species--allowing them to be shot on sight across most of the state. No license would be necessary and there would be no protections for pregnant or nursing wolves or their cubs.

CC photo courtesy Brian Scott

Inexplicably, the plan is by all accounts identical to those previously proposed by Wyoming which were--until now--found to be insufficient by the USFWS.

In apparent recognition of the likely tenuous legal foundation of the plan, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead is urging the U.S. Congress to do an end-run around the democratic process and prevent judicial review of this plan.

This is no way to create policy and it's no way to manage wolves.

Please take action for Wyoming's wolves today. Urge Secretary Salazar to uphold the spirit of the Endangered Species Act, the will of the courts and his own FWS by forcing Wyoming to come up with a responsible, science-based management plan.

Endangered Species Act Defenders Flood the Hill

2011-06-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Endangered Species Coalition and other conservation organizations brought a team of experts to Washington, D.C. to impress upon Members of Congress the importance of protecting the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

ESC Executive Director Leda Huta talks with Major General Michael Lehnert

In a series of meetings on Capitol Hill, representatives of the scientific, ranching, military and fishing communities educated legislators of the unique value of the Act.

Meetings with Members of both Houses of Congress and both parties were held to defend the Endangered Species Act at a time of unprecedented threat.

Tara Thornton, ESC's Program Director traveled from Maine to meet with decision makers and help organize the group.

"They told their stories and gave first hand accounts of why the ESA is critical for their livelihoods, land and water, communities, families, health and the nation. When Brett Baker, a five generation farmer explained why regulating pesticides wouldn't hurt his farm or his business and Major General Michael Lehnert told Members of Congress that a country worth defending was a country worth preserving, decision makers took notice. And this is just a sampling of Americans that support the Endangered Species Act!", Tara Thornton, ESC Program Director.

These meetings were crucial in our fight to save the Endangered Species Act and the species it safeguards. The political environment in Washington is increasingly hostile to conservation and sound stewardship. Hearing from respected members of these important communities is one of the ways elected officials make decisions about the future of the Act and our nation's disappearing wildlife.

You can help too. If you have not already, please join the ESC Activist Network. We'll keep you updated on ways you can speak out for wildlife and wild places in your community.

America supports saving species

2011-06-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

The first five months of the 112th Congress might leave the unengaged observer with the impression that the streets and sidewalks of America are teaming with a desire to roll back protections for wildlife and their habitat. The Continuing Resolution with its legislative de-listing of N. Rockies gray wolves set the tone for what is rapidly becoming a full scale assault on the Endangered Species Act.

Last week, Senators Inhofe (R-OK) and Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a pair of what would in any other Congress be radical amendments. In an unusually blatant kowtowing to big money special interests, the pair seeks to exclude the dunes sagebrush lizard and lesser prairie chicken from ever receiving federal ESA protections. This attempt to micromanage ESA isn't based on some science or biological facts known only to them and their staffs, it's pure politics.

Representative Steve Pearce (R-NM) has been even more creative in his demonization of wildlife and the laws that safeguard them. Recently, the Congressman alleged that somehow the protection of the habitat of the endangered desert pupfish was interfering with the ability of U.S. Border Patrol agents' ability to do their job. The Department of Homeland Security quickly responded, saying no such hindrance existed and that "agents are able to effectively detect and apprehend individuals in that area,". Representative Pearce has also taken aim at protections for Mexican spotted owls, the Mexican wolf, gila trout, bighorn sheep, and the dunes sagebrush lizard.

None of this, however, is what the American public asked for. A recent poll commissioned by the Endangered Species Coalition found broad support for the Act (84%) and a strong preference that decisions about wildlife management and which animals need protection be made by scientists, not politicians (92%).

This is not stopping the efforts in Congress to weaken the Act and the special interest groups funded by Big Oil and others that seek to roll back proven regulatory protections are aggressively pushing for even more attacks. The Safari Club International has been in Washington over the course of several months stalking the halls of Congress advocating for a weakening of the Endangered Species Act. Among the "experts" in town representing the Safari Club, were former NBA star Karl Malone, who "loves shooting rare wild animals for sport", and was a vocal advocate against protections for endangered wolves.

Next week, we'll answer them. The ESC and other conservation groups will be bringing farmers, business leaders, scientists, ranchers and even a retired Marine Corps Major General to Washington to educate lawmakers about the importance of the Endangered Species Act.

Bringing respected members of these communities to speak to elected officials about the economic and societal benefits of saving species is one of the most effective ways of educating Members of Congress and the time to do so has never been more pressing.

But, we need your help to make this happen. Please make an emergency contribution today to help us bring these voices to Washington. Your support is 100% tax-deductible, 100% secure and 100% necessary to save the Endangered Species Act.

World Oceans Day 2011: Take action for Arctic species

2011-06-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

Created in 1992 and officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008, June 8th is designated as World Oceans Day.

Credit NOAA/Igor Lavrenov

On last year's World Oceans Day, our nation was collectively engaged in a stunned response to its worst environmental catastrophe to date--the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill. We now know that thousands of sea birds, hundreds of sea turtles and scores of marine mammals were found dead as a direct result of the oil spill. Other estimates have put that number far higher.

In the year that has followed, the totality of the long term consequences of the spill on marine species have become more clear. A recent paper in the journal BioScience found that marine species facing threats from the Gulf oil spill far exceed those under legal protection in the United States.

The research found that 53 species listed by the IUCN Red List as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable have distribution including the spill zone. Of those 53, just 14 currently receive legal protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Included in the list of unprotected species are 16 species of shark (the enormous whale shark among them), 8 corals and the western stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna. The bluefin faced substantial risks due to overfishing prior to the spill, having seen their numbers plummet drastically since the early 1970's. Researchers using satellite data recently estimated that the spill killed more than 20 percent of the juvenile Atlantic bluefin in the Gulf, likely impacting their ability to sustain the already low population levels. NOAA recently opted not to list the species but will revisit the decision by 2013 following further study.

The horrific environmental as well as economic consequences of the Deepwater Horizon spill have regrettably not moderated the oil industry in its pursuit of crude buried deep beneath some of the planet's most treacherous and icy seas.

Shell Oil is seeking permission from the Department of Interior to move forward with an aggressive and danger-fraught plan to drill in Alaska's Chukchi Sea, home to walrus, threatened polar bears, and endangered fin and humpback whales.

Drilling in this Arctic environment would be challenging at best, with its extreme cold, hurricane strength winds and icebergs as tall as three-story buildings. Responding to a spill would appear to be nearly impossible.

According to Thad Allen, the Coast Guard Admiral who led the response to the Deepwater Horizon spill, the country is not prepared to deal with an Arctic spill. Describing the Arctic as a "very, very difficult place to operate," Allen cautioned against proceeding without caution. Shell has yet to lay out a viable spill response plan nor is the technology in place to deal with an Arctic spill.

Additionally, there's a lack of basic scientific information about the Arctic to fully estimate the potential impacts of drilling. Before the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) considers any drilling in the Arctic Ocean, more environmental analysis must be completed, including the impacts from a potential blowout oil spill during the proposed drilling.

The Department of Interior is accepting comments regarding Shell's proposal through July 11th. Please take action for Arctic Ocean species today by asking Secretary Salazar to and BOEMRE to delay decisions about Arctic drilling until a plan is in place to gather basic essential information and there is proven and viable spill response plans and technology to clean up a spill in the Arctic’s unique conditions.

California’s S.F. Bay-Delta still a “Death Trap” for fish, Even In a Good Water Year

2011-05-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Mark Rockwell

California and Pacific NW Representative

Endangered Species Coalition

Credit: Steve Culberson, USFWS

As we all know, 2011 has been an exceptional water year for our state. There is no doubt this will be good for the state’s fisheries everywhere. One would think that given all this water that the fisheries in the Delta are receiving they would be beyond any harm (various Smelt species, Striped Bass, Winter, Spring and Fall-run Chinook, Steelhead and Green Sturgeon). After all, the salmon/steelhead/green sturgeon Biological Opinion under the ESA is in full effect now, making sure that fish are not unduly harmed – Right? Well, not so fast. Though flows in the Delta are high, and Old and Middle river Channels of the San Joaquin river in the Delta are not in the highly negative flows category, fish are still dying at alarming rates!

Recent data from the Bureau of Reclamation and Dept. of Fish and Game shows that entrainment (the term used in place of killed) at the state and federal water pumps is dramatic. Delta pumps killed over 1.9 million splittail Smelt (previously ESA listed until Julie McDonald got involved) in just the three-day period from May 16 through 18. Over the five-day period including May 19 and 20, a horrifying 2,882,046 splittail were killed! Yes, that’s right, nearly 3 million! Over 15,000 ESA listed Chinook have been killed so far this year, with 4,368 Winter-run and 11,009 Spring-run. See (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/data/salvage/) and http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/ - Fish Report. Remember, Fall-run Chinook are not counted as they are not ESA listed, and they are leaving the system as we write.

Credit: NOAA

When we see information like this it becomes very obvious how destructive the Delta water management system really is for fish. It is no wonder that Delta Fisheries are in trouble, and the ecosystem has crashed. All the Chinook salmon killed to date came from the Sacramento River system, hundreds of miles north of the pumping stations. Yet, because of the way the system is operated these out migrating smolts are drawn (sucked) into the central and south Delta where they are drawn to the pumps, even in a good water year. These fish are genetically programmed to move with the flow downstream, through San Francisco Bay, under the Golden Gate and into the ocean. The pumps alter normal genetic processes. Think of the hundreds of millions of dollars ($$$) of taxpayer money spent on hatcheries and mitigation to save these ESA listed fish, and then they are simply “sucked” into a death trap.

Until this system is changed to something more protective and supportive we will continue to suffer these numbers. This is why the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC) is working so hard to make a difference with the state and federal agencies tasked with balancing the Delta and recovering its listed fish species. The Endangered Species Coalition, and our member partners are at the point of the spear on this issue, and we are working with them to mandate changes that make sense, protect the fishery, and recover the Delta. It is up to all of us to be part of this “fight”. The water contractors will not let up in their efforts for MORE water, and it is up to ESC and our partners to make sure they DON’T get more. What is appropriate is for the urban and agricultural water users to get less from the Bay-Delta, and find other ways to meet additional needs. That is what the fight in Sacramento is all about. You can count on ESC to represent endangered species well, and to hold the decision makers to the California legislative mandates of less reliance on the Delta and recovery of the Delta ecosystem.

Dr. Mark Rockwell

California Representative, Endangered Species Coalition

Celebrate Saving Species this Endangered Species Day!

2011-05-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Mark Rockwell

California and Pacific NW Representative

Endangered Species Coalition

May 20th will mark the 6th annual Endangered Species Day in America. The U.S. Senate is working on a resolution to mark the day nationally, and there will be events around the country throughout the weekend.. The Endangered Species Coalition started the day 6 years ago to recognize both the need to protect species on the verge of extinction, as well as to bring attention to the importance of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and its responsibility to protect threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. Go to: www.endangeredspeciesday.org for more information on events locally and nationally.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 is one of the most popular and effective environmental laws ever enacted. It is a commitment by the American people to work together to protect and restore those species that are most at risk of extinction. Scientists have estimated that 539 species have gone extinct in the U.S. over the past 200 years. The Endangered Species Act now provides us with hope that we can make a difference and slow or stop this from happening, and also restore our native wildlife.

The ESA provides common sense and balanced solutions for government agencies, landowners and businesses to protect and restore endangered species and still allow economic activity to proceed. It is based on three key elements – determining if a species is threatened or endangered (listing), designating habitat essential for its survival and recovery (critical habitat), and restoring healthy populations so they can be removed from the list (recovery plan). Currently, we have more than 1,250 species protected, as well as millions of acres of forests, beaches and wetlands protected to support their survival and recovery. Oversight and management of the ESA is the responsibility of our federal fish and wildlife agencies – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.

Recently (2011) the Endangered Species Coalition commissioned a national survey to assess if the public still supports the Endangered Species Act, and protecting threatened species. Once again, more than 80% of the public supports protection of endangered species, and more than 80% of the public supports the ESA. As President Nixon said upon signing the ESA into law, “Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.” The ESA was conceived in America, and now serves as the prototype law copied worldwide as the way to protect our global wildlife heritage.

This week, there will be engaging and informative Endangered Species Day events around the country. Go to our searchable events page to find one near you. Take a few hours and come to a local event, and bring the family. It will be lots of fun!

The ‘Montana Wolf Control Act’ Has Been…Controlled!

2011-04-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

By Derek Goldman

Northern Rockies Field Representative
Endangered Species Coalition

Wolf-killing Bill Defeated in the Montana Legislature

This week the Montana House of Representatives reversed course once again and finally defeated a bill that would that have led to the death of hundreds of wolves. The bill failed a final vote, after first passing the Montana Senate, then dying in the House, then getting resurrected in the House.

The Montana Wolf Control Act (SB 414), sponsored by Senator Chas Vincent (R-Libby) would have prohibited Montana game wardens from investigating wolves illegally killed in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Senate Bill 414 would have also instructed Montana’s attorney general to sue the U.S. government for alleged “economic losses” caused by wolves. This, in spite of the fact that studies show that wolf-related tourism contributes about 35 million dollars annually to the economies in communities around Yellowstone National Park. Most egregiously, SB 414 would have allowed wolves to be shot on private land, anytime, even without a hunting license. The Montana Wolf Control Act would have undermined Montana’s wolf management plan, which had been thoughtfully derived in 2003 from an extensive, open public process that included Montana sportsmen, conservation groups, ranchers and others.

While the Endangered Species Coalition reluctantly recognizes that hunting will eventually be a regular part of wolf management in the mountain West, Senate Bill 414 was not the kind of hunting we envisioned. The bill went so far that it even violated the central tenets of the sportsman’s own North American Model of Wildlife Conservation that requires licensed, well-regulated hunting with seasons, harvest limits and penalties, as well as the use of science and monitoring to ensure that wildlife resources are held in the public trust for future generations. Although we were not surprised that certain anti-predator, trophy hunting organizations supported this bill, the Montana Wolf Control Act should have been an affront to all ethical sportsmen and sportswomen.

Inside and out of Montana’s legislative session, wolves have clearly become everyone’s favorite scapegoat. Wild accusations of the “decimation” of elk are just that. In fact, with the exception of a few herds, elk are doing quite well. Statewide elk population numbers are UP 60 percent since wolves were reintroduced in 1995, according to data compiled by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Furthermore, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks most recent elk counts, 80 percent of hunting districts in Montana (and even 76 percent of those districts within wolf regions) are at or above elk population objectives. Elk hunter success is also as high as ever.

Yes, wolves occasionally kill livestock, but cattle and sheep lost to wolves is a small fraction of livestock lost overall—domestic dogs, disease and winter storms kill many times more livestock than wolves do.

The return of the gray wolf to the West is a remarkable wildlife restoration achievement and an Endangered Species Act success story. After Congress made the unprecedented move last week to remove Endangered Species protections for wolves in the northern Rockies, the responsibility for the future of wolves now falls to the states in the region. I hope the states undertake this task soberly, and with a serious commitment to ensure that wolves are sustainably managed so that future generations of Westerners can continue to hear the howl of wolves in the wild. The defeat of the Montana Wolf Control Act by the Legislature was a step in the right direction.

America’s Best Idea

2011-03-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

By Brock Evans

President

Endangered Species Coalition

Our Western Mountains (courtesy of rrbsm.webs.com)

Back in 1912, the British Ambassador to the United States once said “Your National Parks are the best idea America ever had.” That stirring phrase stands as a reminder — not only of how much we love this land of ours, but also of a national characteristic just as important: when necessary, we will take strong steps to pass on this heritage to those who follow.

For, wonderful as are our National Parks, Wilderness Areas, and Wildlife Refuges, these were not the only ideas which began here and now are firmly a part of our national culture.

After many years of working to secure protection of the best parts of this beautiful American Earth, I have come to believe that the greatest legacy and heritage protector of them all is the Endangered Species Act– enacted by Congress in 1973 by huge bipartisan majorities: 355-4 in the House, 92-0 in the Senate.

Why do I say the ESA is also so special, so – American, in its conception and in its implementation? Because its purpose, its terms, and its message take it a long leap beyond most other environmental laws. The Endangered Species Act is a moral law, in the very best sense of the word. “Moral” because it expresses the near-unanimous will of the whole American people that we must do our best to ensure that this rich diversity of plants and animals which live among us shall also stay here forever, just as we intend to do.

The Once Endangered Eagle (courtesy of americanancestors.info)

Think about this powerful moral expression — the essence of the Endangered Species Act — for a moment: in 1973, the legislators of a great Nation came together, and they said, in effect: “from henceforth, we, the American People, shall not permit any other species of plant or animal which shares the national territory with us, to become extinct. Not if we can help it…”

If that isn’t one of the most profound and powerful statements ever, of a Nation’s feelings about all its inhabitants, it’s hard to imagine what is. That’s what this is really all about.

President Nixon perhaps said it best, when he signed the ESA into law in 1973: “Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed…. [the lives of] countless future generations will be richer…. and America will be more beautiful in the years ahead, thanks to the measure that I have the pleasure of signing into law today.”

This new law, the Endangered Species Act, had so much power and moral force because of two basic concepts which were written into it at the very beginning:

1. The Act declares that any species which science can prove is nearing extinction, shall be protected under the terms of the Act. Not ‘pretty please,’ not if it is politically safe, but “shall.”
2. The Act declares that not only must individual members of a species be protected, but also orders the government to protect that species’ “critical habitat,” the specific places each plant or animal needs for food and shelter, to reproduce – in other words, to help it become healthier and return from the brink of extinction.

To recover, because that is the true goal of this law: to lend a helping hand to our natural neighbors, to protect and nurture them back to full health. The Endangered Species Act, which my organization, the Endangered Species Coalition, is proud to defend — is our Nation’s ultimate safety net — its Emergency Room, for nearly all living things which share our boundaries.

It is not a perfect law, but it has been hugely successful: so many species on the brink 37 years ago are now flourishing among us: the pelican, condor, falcon, alligator, hundreds of flowers and reptiles too – given a fighting chance to survive. So too are their critical habitats: millions of acres of ancient forests, wild beaches, still-open meadows, sparkling rivers, rare places which would have otherwise be long since logged off, paved over. This is the true legacy of our unique Endangered Species Act.

There are some who have called it a job-killer, the exploiters’ favorite buzzword of these difficult times. Yes, there are instances where the requirements to protect rare habitats and the nearly extinct animals or fish which inhabit them, have prevented clearcut logging or massive dams or subdivisions. But our whole national experience over the past 37 years has been that these conflicts have nearly always been resolved; the proposed development is modified, or takes place in a different and more sustainable spot.

The fact that the ESA still stands tall and unweakened, after nearly forty years, is in itself a testament to the wisdom of a special American, “can-do” spirit, when it comes to our natural treasures: that we can have both: jobs, economic development, and natural beauty, wild places, endangered species too. It need not be one or the other.

We can ask: what would our country have looked like now, after four decades of heavy development, if this special law — the Endangered Species Act — was never enacted? How much poorer we would have been as a people, to have lost such a stunning heritage!

Given this already-priceless legacy, it is shocking to have to report that this week, House Republicans have opened up a major attack on the Act. Bills have been introduced, and pushed strongly, to remove the endangered Rocky Mountain Wolf — just recently brought back from the edge of extinction — from the Safety Net.

Wolf and Cub (courtesy of wtv-zone.com)

If this attack succeeds, we can be certain that other legislation, to “delist” many other species will follow. The guts of the Act — the parts that require scientific findings to determine which species will be protected — will be ripped out, replaced by “political science” that is, whoever has the biggest wallets and most lobbyists in Congress.

While we can all understand that some folks like Big Oil, or Big Sprawl Developers might like this result, we don’t believe the American people would stand for it.

So the environmental community has this suggestion to our Representatives and Senators in the Congress: don’t even try. Every American knows that Extinction is Forever.

Perhaps, upon reflection, this is the greatest idea – our Nation’s greatest gift – to the whole world — as well as to ourselves.

This was originally posted at Endless Pressure | a blog by Brock Evans.

BiodiversityBracketology! NCAA Tournament Features Endangered Species

2011-03-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

The college sports world's annual celebration of the madness of March--the NCAA men's basketball tournament--is underway and is again a celebration of species! From gators to owls to panthers to wolverines, there is a species for everyone to root for.

Of the 64 teams granted entry to this year's NCAA tournament, 22 owe their names to a federally protected species. To make it easy for you to keep track of them, we've put together the 2011 ESC Biodiversity Bracket.

After you've downloaded the bracket and made your picks, vote for the protected species represented team you'll be cheering for. When the winner has been crowned, we'll pick a voter who correctly chose the species/team to win a swanky Patagonia designed ESC t-shirt!

Poll: Americans Support ESA & Wolves

2011-03-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

credit USFWS

A recent poll commissioned by the Endangered Species Coalition found that Americans broadly support the Endangered Species Act and oppose politicians making wildlife decisions:

Overall, there is strong support for the Endangered Species Act (84%)

Most Americans believe the ESA is a safety net providing balanced solutions to save wildlife, plants and fish that are at risk of extinction (64%)

The majority of Americans believe decisions about whether to remove the Endangered Species Act’s protections should be based on science, not politics (63%)

In spite of this, the U.S. Senate is currently considering a pair of continuing resolution budget bills in opposition to that public support.

The House version of the CR bill (HR 1) is the most at odds with this public support. Were it to pass both Houses of congress and be signed into law, the consequences would be far-reaching.

Long standing water management agreements in California--that have saved multiple fish species--would be invalidated. The federal government would be prevented from regulating climate change causing carbon emissions. The ability of citizens like you and I to use the courts to pressure the federal government to enforce existing environmental and other federal laws would be significantly impacted. Perhaps worst of all, Northern Rockies wolves would be removed from elgibility for Endangered Species Act protections. This would not only affect the wolves but the decision by Congress to act to remove protections for a single species, something completely unprecedented, would make it easier for future politically "inconvenient" species to be de-listed legislatively.

The Senate version of the bill is thankfully free of much of the anti-environmental language. Unfortunately, what is potentially the most far-reaching piece of the bill--the unprecedented legislative de-listing of the wolf--remains.

The Senate is voting this week. Please take action for endangered species today by contacting your Senators and asking them to protect wolves and pass a clean CR bill. We need to reach every Senator. We can't take any Senator's vote for granted. Please call yours today.

Sierra Nevadas Strained by Changing Climate

2011-02-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

The four hundred mile long, sixty mile wide Sierra Nevada Ecosystem is historically one of our nation's most resilient ecosystems. This majestic landscape was treasured by our 26th President, Teddy Roosevelt, and inspired John Muir to help found America's modern conservation movement.

The aptly named "Range of Light" has survived clearcuts of it's forests, encroaching development of all sorts,the impacts of rapid population growth and changing land use--all while maintaining one of the world's most diverse ecosystems.

Roughly 570 vertebrate species inhabit the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem. In addition, the few are escaping the impacts of it's greatest threat to date.

Climate change is causing the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem to rapidly warm. Increased winter rains instead of snow are causing an earlier snowmelt and less snowpack, critcal to the ongoing survival of numerous species.

The decline in snowpack and resultant snowmelt has been calamitous for amphibious species such as yellow-legged frogs. The frog relies on the snowpack to provide enough water to keep ponds from freezing in winter and drying in summer. The disappearing snowmelt has confined the frogs to a mere 7 percent of their range.

The majestic Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is suffering as tree lines move higher in warmer weather, depleting it's mountain meadow habitat. Sierra Nevada bighorns had come back from the brink of extinction, numbering barely more than 100 in 1995. It was the first species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act this century and, while slowly recovering, is highly vulnerable to climate change wrought habitat loss.

The American pika, a hamster-like species with a very small temperature window, has already become locally extinct in some lowlying areas as a result of climate change. Unable to withstand the increased temperatures in the summer and lacking vital snowpack for its insulative properties, the pika are pushed further upslope--a terminal destination.

The lack of snow melt is taking a toll on salmon runs in mountain streams as well. Many of California's threatened and endangered fish depend on rivers that start in the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem. As the headwaters decrease and temperatures rise, endangered fish species such as the Delta smelt will suffer the result.

Again, the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem is one of our nation's most resilient and enduring landscapes. With the initiation of mitigation and adaptation strategies, the ecosystem will once again thrive.

Reducing or eliminating external impacts such as invasive species, logging, excessive grazing,and mining are essential. Landscape efforts including the restoration of mountain meadows will aid in the recovery of endangered species such as the Sierra Nevada bighorn and contribute to a healthier, more resilient ecosystem.

Lastly, global climate change must be addressed on the national and international level. Without binding limits on the amounts of carbon released into the atmosphere, the planet's surface will continue on a warming path leading to increased devastation of wild places and the species that depend upon them.

To find out more about climate change and it's effect on endangered and threatened species and what you can do to help, please visit the ESC website at www.stopextinction.org.