The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is charged with protecting fish and wildlife for generations to come. So why did USFWS allow 88,000 building projects and other actions that imperil wildlife? The Service has the right and, in fact, the duty to stop development of important wildlife areas. Trouble is: the agency almost never says no to a developer or businessman.
That means that, while USFWS has been duly listing animals as endangered, they have done nothing to protect their habitat. And habitat loss equals extinction. The cerulean warbler, the loggerhead sea turtle, the Florida panther, Lange's metalmark butterfly, gulf sturgeon, and the San Joaquin kit fox are among the hundreds of species, in the United States alone, whose numbers are in steep decline due to habitat loss. Please join with me in demanding that USFWS do a better job of protecting fish and wildlife from habitat loss.
To the United States Fish and Wildlife Service:
We the undersigned are outraged to learn that from a National Academy of Sciences study that you have done almost nothing to protect American wildlife from extinction. According to that study, you allowed 88,000 building projects and other actions that imperil wildlife. Section seven of the Endangered Species Act gives you broad powers to stop destruction of wildlife habitat. It appears that you have simply failed to exercise the power that would have saved many species which are now dwindling on the verge of extinction. Please start enforcing section seven of the Endangered Species Act.
