This week, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) released a draft bill to overhaul the Endangered Species Act. Barrasso chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and has worked with the Western Governors Association to draft the proposal. The “Endangered Species Act Amendments of 2018” is a discussion draft. In response to the proposal, Sarah Greenberger, Senior Vice President, Conservation Policy at National Audubon Society, issued the following statement:

 “If you’ve ever seen a Bald Eagle or a Brown Pelican, you can thank the Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act protects iconic American wildlife from extinction at a 99 percent success rate. But in the face of increasing threats from development, contaminants and a changing climate, we must do more to protect birds and other wildlife and the places they need to survive and thrive. First and foremost, conserving threatened and endangered species requires more resources, but it also requires a creative, science-based, bipartisan conversation on how we can improve conservation outcomes on the ground. We appreciate that the Western Governors Association has convened a thoughtful effort to tackle these issues, that Senator Barrasso wants to continue that conversation and has invited organizations like Audubon to offer our thoughts. We will review the discussion draft with that goal in mind – improving science-based conservation for birds now and into the future.”

More about Audubon’s work and the Endangered Species Act can be found here.