Endangered Species Act proposals

On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed into law, the Endangered Species Act. It has been credited with aiding in the recovery of Louisiana’s pelicans, alligators, and black bears. The act passed as Americans became more aware of the harms to wildlife and the environment. In the present day, climate change poses one of the greatest threats to wildlife. Nearly half of endangered mammals and a quarter of birds have been negatively impacted by climate change, according to a 2017 European-based study in the journal “Nature Climate Change.” The Trump Administration is proposing changes to the act. But wildlife advocate Brett Hartl, government affairs director for the Center for Biological Diversity, says the proposal will make it difficult to save species when more protections are needed. The proposed change may also be used to allow for development, which may exacerbate the impacts of climate change, he says. Another proposed change may make it more difficult for species to gain federal protections based on projected climate change. Sea turtles are among the species most vulnerable to climate change, according to a research ecologist with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. (Source: NOLA.com 12/28/18)