Guest commentary: Oppose harmful changes to Endangered Species Act
Every year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day which marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. One of the crowning achievements that came out of that time was the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, which has been responsible for saving hundreds of species, including the bald eagle, the American alligator, and the wood stork.
Unfortunately, this Earth Day, Congress will be voting on a bill to weaken the ESA, a law that a majority of Americans strongly support. House Resolution 1897, entitled The Endangered Species Act of 2025, by Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas) is scheduled to be heard tomorrow afternoon on the House Floor.
H.R. 1897 rewrites the ESA in a manner that undermines our efforts to preserve and recover Florida’s most at-risk animals, plants, and habitats. Some of Florida’s most imperiled species will be significantly impacted if these changes are adopted into law.
H.R. 1897 will not add any new science-based recovery measures for at-risk species; however, it will:
– Prevent reasonable measures to mitigate harm to listed species. Currently, if a federal project harms a listed species in one area, they can mitigate the loss by protecting and restoring the species habitat in another area. H.R. 1897 explicitly prohibits this balanced approach.
– Eliminate key opportunities for public accountability and oversight. This bill prevents the public from reviewing, submitting comments, and challenging federal decisions that would harm listed species and remove their protections.
– Overburden state agencies. This bill burdens state agencies with the responsibility for the recovery of species at risk for extinction.
– Create a patchwork of insufficient protections. Many threatened and endangered species have ranges across multiple states or migrate during the year. A national perspective is important for effective recovery programs.
Please join the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) is asking Congress to oppose these damaging amendments to the ESA by visiting https://sccf.quorum.us/campaign/161121/. The ESA is an important tool in the existing science-based framework that Southwest Florida relies on to protect critical wildlife habitat while experiencing exponential growth.
These irreplaceable plants and animals serve as key indicators to the overall health of our environment and carving out their remaining protections will be devastating to their populations, the ecosystems they rely on, and our local economies that are dependent on a robust and healthy environment.
Founded in 1967, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit sccf.org.