Protection for America's endangered species

In the last week, big developers, the timber lobby, and other polluters have teamed up with the White House to orchestrate a lobbying and media campaign to eliminate key protections for endangered species. Since last Thursday, they've unveiled a recommendation to allow developers and oil operations to continue to pave over dwindling habitat for the endangered sage grouse. Then, a handful of anti-species governors delivered speeches urging the elimination of endangered species protections. Finally, the Bush administration issued a policy that would remove protections for up to 80 percent of habitat critical to the survival of Pacific salmon, opening these areas to logging and development. The goal of this polluter lobbying campaign is simple - to push legislation in Congress that would let the oil, gas, timber, mining, and development industries destroy tens of millions of acres of land and thousands of miles of rivers currently protected because they are critical to the survival of endangered species like the sage grouse, salmon, and grizzlies. Fortunately, we can stop this well-financed campaign in its tracks by building enough support in Congress for continued protection of species like the grey wolf, the Florida panther, and even smaller natural wonders like the Karner blue butterfly. If enough members of Congress see that Americans won't take this assault on our natural heritage lying down, Congress will back off. Few members of Congress want to be remembered as the person who voted to condemn the bald eagle, or any other species, to extinction.

To stop this campaign in its tracks, urge your member of Congress to fight these attempts to let polluters weaken protections for America's endangered species.