The US has been a global leader in protecting wildlife, largely thanks to the success of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Since its enactment in 1973, the ESA has protected hundreds of iconic plants and animals, preventing the extinction of over 99% of listed species. This bedrock legislation is critical for the survival of endangered and threatened species across our nation.  

The agencies’ proposal will dismantle the regulatory framework that ensures the success of the ESA. These changes would make it more difficult to designate critical habitat for endangered species, limit experts’ ability to protect threatened species based on foreseeable threats, allow economic impacts to be prioritized in listing decisions instead of best available science, and revoke important protections for threatened species —all of which will jeopardize the wellbeing and survival of our nation’s most imperiled wildlife. 

Public support for the ESA remains strong. According to a nationwide survey conducted in June 2025, 84% of Americans say that it is important to them personally that the US focus on saving endangered species from extinction, and the majority of respondents also favor habitat protections for imperiled species.  

I urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to maintain ESA regulations in their current form, and not to reinstate rules making species listings, habitat designation, and wildlife protection more difficult and less scientific. Protecting our endangered and threatened species now will ensure their survival into the future and preserve our nation’s wildlife and ecosystems.