Government Endangered Species Act

History

• In 1973, the U.S. Congress passed the Endangered Species Act because of the increasing demise of plants and animals caused by humans, disease and predators. President Richard Nixon signed the ESA into law with the purpose of protecting American ecosystems. He stated that, "Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed." According to the EPA, extinctions have been at record highs since the early 20th century. As of 2009, the Endangered Species Act has protected more than 1,900 species of plant and animals.
  
  

Threatened and Endangered

• A plant or animal species is "threatened" if it is likely to become endangered followed by extinction in the near future, unless changes are made to save it. "Endangered" means that particular plants and animals are high risk of becoming extinct completely, or a portion of it will disappear entirely in the very near future..
  
  

Endangered Species List

• The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service maintains an updated list of all plants and animals due to become threatened or in danger of extinction. In 2009, the FWS released a list with 351 threatened and 1,574 endangered species. Animals on the list included the grizzly bear, jaguar and blue whale.
  
  When a plant or animal makes it on to the endangered species list, it's against the law to disturb these species from their natural habitats. It's illegal to trap, collect or destroy any listed endangered species. In addition, the EPA must authorize the purchases of land inhabited by wildlife found at the top of the endangered species list. Furthermore, the government can criminally prosecute and convict people who violate the Endangered Species Act. The government may also award people who help lead law enforcement to make arrests and convictions for violators.
  
  

Extinction

• Extinction is the disappearance of an endangered species permanently from the planet. Sometimes extinction is natural, such as in the case of the dinosaurs. Other times, extinction disturbs the intricate cycle of life in the ecosystem. For example, if a predator becomes extinct in the wild this can lead to overpopulation of its prey. Additionally, the extinction of a plant species may lead to a greater number of animal extinctions among those that rely on a particular plant as a food source. Moreover, any of these examples could begin the disruption of the whole food chain for millions of plant and animal species.
  
  

Results

• The enactment of the Endangered Species Act brought significant results in the protection of American wildlife. For instance, by 2008, the national symbol of the United States, the bald eagle, increased in numbers from 416 to 9,789 birds. The EPA reports that 93 percent of all species on the endangered species list have increased in population.