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Environmental Groups United in Opposition to Pombo’s Endangered Species Bill Yesterday Congressman Richard Pombo (R-CA) introduced a bill that would raze the Endangered Species Act, America’s safety net for preventing fish and wildlife from going extinct and disappearing forever. More: http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2005-09-21.asp Sierra Club was surprised and deeply disappointed when hours later, the industry front group Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA) issued a press statement claiming that Sierra Club and other environmental groups support Rep. Pombo’s bill. This is a blatant attempt to distort our position and to quell the growing criticism of Rep. Pombo’s efforts to gut the Endangered Species Act. To bolster their absurd claim, CREA pulled quotes from a letter to Members of Congress dated September 20 in which 36 environmental groups urged members to vote against Rep. Pombo’s bill. Sierra Club and the 35 other groups remain adamantly opposed to Representative Pombo’s bill. The full text of that letter, sans CREA’s misleading commentary, is attached below*. Sierra Club will not speculate as to any coordination by Rep. Pombo with CREA's attempt to mislead the American public, the fact is that their shared agenda is one which will leave our children with dirtier skies, more polluted water, and a world without unique and rare species like the Pacific Salmon, Rocky Mountain Grizzly Bear, and bald eagle. It should be noted that CREA is under investigation by the Inspector General for the Department of Interior for aiding and abetting lobbyist Jack Abramoff in bilking and defrauding Indian tribes to the tune of $80 million dollars. CREA was founded back in 1998 by the right-wing activist Grover Norquist and now-Secretary of Interior Gale Norton. A quick glance at the policies they actively support make their true motives pretty obvious. When the Bush administration proposed allowing 2- 3 times more soot, smog, and mercury in our air than strong enforcement of the current law, CREA defended the move. They were enthusiastic about the administration's decision to remove federal protections from 20 million acres of wetlands and small streams. And the group actually applauded when Congress voted to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There is no reason that anyone should take anything CREA has to say seriously. Misrepresentation is their middle name. ************************************************ Action for a Clean Environment * American Lands Alliance * American Rivers*Audubon Society of Portland * Center for Biological Diversity * Center for Native Ecosystems*Conservation Northwest * Defenders of Wildlife * Earthjustice * Earth Action Network*Endangered Species Coalition * Environmental Defense*Environmental Information Protection Center * Forest Guardians * Friends of the Earth*Friends of Trinity River * League of Conservation Voters * Los Padres ForestWatch*Mount Graham Coalition * Mass Audubon * Mississippi Wildlife Federation*National Audubon Society * National Environmental Trust * National Wildlife Federation*Native Plant Conservation Campaign * Natural Resources Defense Council*The Pegasus Foundation * Oceana * Oregon Natural Resources Council*Predator Conservation Alliance * Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition * Sierra Club*U.S. Public Interest Research Group * Western Wildlife Conservancy * The Wilderness Society*The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation September 20, 2005 Dear Representative, In the coming weeks, the House of Representatives will consider legislation that may fundamentally alter the Endangered Species Act. For over thirty years, the Endangered Species Act has served as a safety net for plants, fish, and wildlife that are on the brink of extinction. By any measure, the Act has been a remarkable success. Of the 1800 plants and animals under the Act's protection, only nine have been declared extinct, and more than two-thirds of protected species with known scientific trends are moving towards recovery with stable and improving populations. Our country’s natural heritage of plants, fish and wildlife is an incredible asset, providing not only intrinsic value and beauty, but also tremendous benefits to local communities, economies, science, and our way of life. The Endangered Species Act allows us to ensure that our wildlife heritage will remain intact for future generations. As a result of the many successes of the Act, Americans throughout the country are strongly supportive of upholding the law and protecting species that are faced with extinction. As you know, in order to ensure that any successful law stands the test of time, Congress must revisit the law from time to time. The Endangered Species Act is no exception. However, as you decide how to vote on this upcoming legislation, we would like to encourage you consider the following set of comprehensive principles, which our organizations believe to be of the utmost importance to maintaining the integrity, effectiveness, and original intent of the Endangered Species Act. • Legislation should not eliminate the mandate to work towards recovery. In addition to protecting species from extinction, the Endangered Species Act also requires the recovery of species. Protections that only require the survival of a species are contrary to the spirit and letter of the law. Legislation should hold federal actions to the standard of recovering species. • Legislation should not weaken habitat protections for threatened and endangered species.The increasing loss of habitat throughout the United States is widely considered to be the primary cause of extinction and species endangerment. The protection of habitat should remain a requirement in order to protect and recover species. • Legislation should not weaken scientific decision-making. Legislation should ensure that science remains in the hands of scientists, not politicians. Decisions should be based on the best science available, and scientific data and decisions should not be manipulated for political reasons. • Legislation should not limit public participation. Public input and oversight helps to ensure a proper system of checks and balances and improves decisions and management. Legislation should not establish unnecessary hurdles to public participation in Endangered Species Act decisions. • Legislation should not weaken current or existing law, nor should legislation fundamentally alter the original intent of the Endangered Species Act.With the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, Congress pledged our government to ensure the protection of all plants, fish, and animals from extinction and to recover endangered species to the point at which protection is no longer required. We strongly encourage you to continue to uphold the integrity and intent of the Endangered Species Act and to oppose any efforts that would undermine the law. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Adele Kushner Executive Director Action for a Clean Environment
Randi Spivak Executive Director American Lands Alliance
Rebecca R. Wodder President American Rivers
Susan Ash Conservation Director Audubon Society of Portland
Michael Finkelstein Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity
Jacob Smith Executive Director Center for Native Ecosystems
Mitch Friedman Executive Director Conservation Northwest
Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife
Mha Atma S. Khalsa Director Earth Action Network
Buck Parker Executive Director Earthjustice
Brock Evans President Endangered Species Coalition
Fred Krupp President Environmental Defense
Larry Evans President Environmental Protection Information Center
John Horning Executive Director Forest Guardians
Brent Blackwelder President Friends of the Earth
Byron Leydecker Chair Friends of Trinity River
Deb Callahan President League of Conservation Voters
Jeff Kuyper Executive Director Los Padres ForestWatch
Laura Johnson President Mass Audubon
Cathy Shropshire, PhD Executive Director Mississippi Wildlife Federation
Roger Featherstone Board Chair Mount Graham Coalition
John Flicker President National Audubon Society
Philip Clapp President National Environmental Trust
Larry Schweiger President and CEO National Wildlife Federation
Emily Roberson Director Native Plant Conservation Campaign
Frances Beinecke Executive Director Natural Resources Defense Council
Regna Merritt Executive Director Oregon Natural Resources Council
Andrew F. Sharpless Chief Executive Officer Oceana
Peter A. Bender Executive Director The Pegasus Foundation
David Gaillard Director Predator Conservation Alliance
Pat Ford Executive Director Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition
Carl Pope Executive Director Sierra Club
Gene Karpinski Executive Director U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Bill Meadows President The Wilderness Society
Kirk Robinson, J.D. Executive Director Western Wildlife Conservancy
Scott Hoffman Black Executive Director The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
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