The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been a resounding success for vulnerable species bringing iconic animals, such as bald eagles, gray wolves, and grizzly bears, back from the brink of extinction. 

In addition to protecting animals at risk of extinction in the United States, the ESA is also invoked to protect species non-native to the U.S., such as many of the animals we work to protect at FOUR PAWS, including bears, tigers, lions, orangutans, and more. These non-native species, such as African lions and elephants, are granted protection under the ESA as part of U.S. international treaty obligations to ensure the survival of species against harmful international trade. Additionally, the ESA also affords protections to endangered species in captivity, allowing for the rescue of animals like tigers and lions living in deplorable conditions in U.S. roadside zoos. But the ESA is under attack, and we need your help to ensure that threatened and endangered species continue to be protected under federal law. 

Passed in 1973 with bipartisan backing in Congress (a vote of 92-0 in the Senate and 355-4 in the House), the ESA has remained wildly popular in the United States, with strong support from the general public, scientists, and conservation groups alike. Throughout the last 50 years, the ESA has been celebrated and championed by people across the political spectrum, and a recent poll shows that 84% of Americans support the ESA. The act remains a shining example of what our country can accomplish when we come together to cooperate in the name of a common, worthy goal.

However, the Endangered Species Act, and its oceanic counterpart, The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), have recently come under attack. The current Trump administration is trying to weaken the ESA and MMPA in order to allow for “energy development”—in other words to drill and exploit lands that are currently closed for profit. These lands include national parks and public lands that provide protections not just for animals but also safeguard clean water sources, provide environmental benefits against climate change, and are places of outdoor recreation in nature for millions of Americans. Additionally, many endangered species are also keystone species, which means they are vitally important to ecosystem health. Among the most famous keystone species are gray wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which were reintroduced in 1995 after their near extinction 100 years prior. The resulting positive effects on the ecosystem were astounding, having created opportunity for everything from songbirds to grizzly bears and improving water quality and riverbank health. 

Rather than investing in renewable energy sources that would help our country transition away from fossil fuels, the Trump administration is doubling down on fossil fuel production, signing an executive order that declares an “energy emergency” with the intent of bypassing important environmental and animal protection laws such as the ESA and MMPA. This strategy is problematic for several reasons: 1) Executive orders cannot undo laws that have been passed by Congress. Congress can hold a vote to change laws or make new laws, but the president does not have the power to override laws. 2) The decision to declare an “emergency” gives a false sense of danger. 3) Time and time again, polls show that Americans want to protect vulnerable animals and their habitat. This is not a controversial issue in the public’s mind.

In spite of this widespread support, House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on February 26, entitled “Evaluating the Implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.”  While some lawmakers tried to frame these important conservation laws as the enemy of economic activity, others were able to highlight the important successes of the ESA and MMPA, and the need for continued strong protection. Daniel Rohlf, a wildlife law professor at Lewis and Clark Law School, who was a witness at the hearing, pointed out that more than 90 percent of endangered species are making progress towards their recovery. Rohlf also quoted from the Supreme Court decision in 1978 which clarified the government’s role in implementing the ESA when challenged by a corporation, “The plain intent of Congress in enacting this statute was to halt and reverse the trend towards species extinction, whatever the cost.”

While it would be unwise, and against the intent of the ESA, to prioritize politics and money over science when making decisions relating to conservation and implementation of the ESA, interestingly, there are studies that show there are economic benefits to species protection. For example, a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research at the University of Chicago found that, “while home prices within federally protected areas remain stable, prices in surrounding communities can rise by as much as 10 percent, suggesting economic benefits for nearby homeowners.” These findings are important because they, “challenge narratives that the ESA is an economic burden, suggesting instead that it can harmonize conservation goals with economic realities.”

On March 25, 2025, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee held a hearing on two bills that would drastically weaken the ESA: H.R.1897, the “ESA Amendments Act of 2025” and H.R.845, the so-called “Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025”. FOUR PAWS has joined with other organizations in condemning these harmful bills that would fast-track even more species towards extinction. 

The recent hearings are taking place as many federal workers who help implement the ESA and MMPA are being unjustly fired from their jobs, and budgets at federal agencies are being slashed. Representative Val Hoyle from Oregon pointed out that, “firing tens of thousands of federal workers without any strategic analysis as to the effect on agencies to do consultation, approve permits and recover species is irresponsible. [It] is another example of undermining the ability of government to do the work, then blaming federal agencies and those workers for not getting the job done.”  Ranking member Jared Huffman from California also released a statement in response to the firings. “This slash and burn approach to governing is an all-out attack on thousands of real, hardworking Americans who’ve dedicated their lives to keeping our air breathable, our water drinkable, and our national treasures protected from corporate greed.”

Extinction is forever. If we allow the protections afforded by the ESA and MMPA to be weakened and undermined, the consequences of these decisions will reverberate for generations. Successful recovery of species and habitats takes cooperation amongst many people and government departments over long periods of time. Destruction can happen shockingly fast, and it can take many decades to undo the damage that has been done, while some destruction can never be reversed. The Endangered Species Act protects animals in the U.S. and around the world, and the act needs your protection to thrive.

Please contact your elected officials and let them know that you support the continued protection of endangered species and their habitats. 

Hands off the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act! You can look up your Congress members and find their contact information here.