December 27, 2013
Saturday, December 28th marks the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Signed into law in 1973 by President Richard Nixon, the act is responsible for recovering 31 species in the US and around the world and has prevented the extinction of 99% of the species it protects since its commencement.
Under the ESA, there are about 2100 total plant and animal species-1480 of which are found in the United States. There are multitudes of amazing success stories including that of the black- footed ferret, North America’s rarest mammal. In 1981, the species was thought to be extinct but after their rediscovery in 1985, an effective breeding program by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (along with South Dakota tribal efforts) was enacted and by 2004, their reintroduction to the wild proved to be extremely successful.
There have been several other success stories where animals were brought back from the edge of extinction such as the bald eagle, the American alligator, and the African elephant.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service will be honoring the 40th Anniversary of the ESA with a year-long commemoration of the Act. A website highlighting the history and milestones accomplished by the ESA can be found here. It includes an interactive map which shows where different endangered species live and what efforts have been made to ensure their protection. It also includes images, videos, and information on how to get involved in educational opportunities.
The ESA is one of the most important pieces of legislation for the endangered species of our planet and is definitely worth a celebration with every year that passes by. Let’s give three cheers to all the people who dedicate themselves to the protection of our endangered species!
-Monica Bologna
Photo Credit: Flickr/ USFWS Mountain Prairie
