My son and I were among the over 220,000 individuals last year who wrote to the Interior Department to object to the proposed reinterpretation of the word “harm” in the Endangered Species Act. By protecting endangered birds, mammals, reptiles and marine creatures’ habitats — where they eat, breed and shelter — we have protected many species from extinction!
For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has been a huge success story, so this is no time to mess with success. Changing the definition of “harm” offers an outrageous opportunity to oil, gas and mining corporations to access sensitive lands for their profit only.
This change is not what we the people want. Congress and/or the courts must intervene and save this legislation from being gutted this way. We cannot allow 50 years’ worth of restoring populations of vulnerable animals to be undone. That would lead to preventable extinctions, a horrendous and bleak outcome.
— Beth Wagner Brust, San Diego