Success: Endangered Species Once Again Federally Protected

Target: Jon S. Tigar, U.S. District Judge

Goal: Praise the conservation of vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species and the ending of outrageous Trump-era changes to the Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is essential for the conservation of endangered species and the preservation of our nation’s biodiversity. This act encourages the recovery of threatened species by prohibiting the harming or killing of endangered species; banning the import, export, and sale of endangered species; and requiring the designation of critical habitat.

Despite the importance of this act, Trump’s administration made a series of totally unnecessary rollbacks in 2019 that weakened the protection of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Changes included making it easier to delist species so that they wouldn’t receive ESA protections, allowing economic factors to be considered when determining whether or not a species is “worth” saving, and making it more difficult to designate areas as “critical habitat”.

Luckily, a California federal judge recently undid these Trump-era changes to the ESA and restored many of the protections previously afforded under the Endangered Species Act. In these previous ForceChange petitions, people called for an overturn of the rule that confines endangered animals to polluted habitats and to stop the hunting of endangered wolves and other species in wildlife refuges. Under this new legislation, critical habitats are now more easily attainable and protections have been restored for hundreds of species, including the gray wolf.

Sign this petition to thank District Judge Jon S. Tigar for restoring past ESA protections and for acknowledging the importance of conserving endangered species.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Judge Tigar,

The Endangered Species Act has been a source of protection for endangered species since it was first passed in 1973. However, in 2019, the Trump-administration made a series of totally unnecessary changes to this act, mostly in the name of protecting corporate industry. These changes made it easier to delist species and harder to designate critical areas, therefore abandoning many of the protections previously afforded to certain wildlife and plants. The administration also encouraged that economic factors override scientific analysis when deciding whether or not to list a species as endangered.

Luckily, these changes did not last long. We at the ForceChange community would like to thank you, Mr. Tigar, for your contribution to the protection of endangered species all over the U.S.. Through restoring past ESA protections, you will help save thousands of species from extinction, as well as the ecosystems that they promote.

Thank you again for helping to maintain our planet and the species who call it home.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: christels