WASHINGTON (September 25)—Tomorrow, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on a set of bills that would change the Endangered Species Act. The nine bills would undermine the scientific foundations of the Endangered Species Act, weakening the federal government’s ability to protect vulnerable species and habitats, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). More than 1,500 scientists and experts have written to Congress telling them not to undermine the law.
Below is a statement by Andrew Rosenberg, Director of the Center for Science and Democracy at UCS.
“These bills have nothing to do with conservation. If passed into law, they would make the Endangered Species Act nearly unenforceable—and undercut the scientific basis that has made the law such a success. These bills put short-term and narrow economic interests ahead of science and the protection of ecosystems, and members of Congress should reject them.”