North Coast Chapter - CNPS
Petition to Save the Endangered Species Act
Keep It Alive!
Dear CNPS members and other interested parties,
In addition to calling your Congress member, you can support endangered species protection by signing the email petition below and passing it on to family, friends and coworkers. The vast majority of Republicans, of Democrats and of Independents is in favor of strong protection for endangered species. Unless that majority sends Congress and the Administration a clear message the well-organized and heavily-funded anti-conservation lobby will prevail.
Joe Willingham, CNPS VP-Legislation
* * * * Petition to Save the Endangered Species Act * * * *
We're experiencing the greatest rate of extinction since the dinosaurs - up to 50,000 species a year. In the U.S., we have lost over 500 plants and animals since the signing of the Declaration of Independence; 250 of these species have disappeared in the last 15 years. This massive loss of life threatens our own existence, by depriving us of potential cures to deadly diseases and decimating local economies. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, the fishing industry has lost approximately $1 billion in the last ten years due to the decline in salmon.
The U.S. Congress is now considering two radically different bills to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act. Kempthorne's Extinction bill (S.1180) rolls back 25 years of conservation efforts, sacrificing protections for endangered species to benefit industry. Miller (H.R. 2351) strikes a reasonable compromise, balancing wildlife needs with landowners, while working for the recovery of species. Congress could vote on these bills as early as the end of February, 1998. Please keep our endangered species alive by signing the below petition and forwarding to family, friends, and lists interested in preserving our environment.
* * * * HOW TO SIGN THIS PETITION * * * *
Copy the entire email (from * START * to * END *) into a new email. After the last signature below, enter a new line, with the next number. Please list your name, city, state and zip code. Forward to your family, friends, coworkers, and relevant lists. Please cc: your message to esa@server.pirg.org
* START *
Dear Member of Congress:
We are currently faced with the greatest rate of extinction worldwide since the disappearance of dinosaurs 65 million years ago, losing up to 50,000 species a year. Since 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has halted the potential extinction of dozens of animals, including the bald eagle, the gray wolf and the California sea otter. Senator Kempthorne's (R-ID) and Chafee (R-RI) are pushing forward a bill, S.1180, that protects the interests of industry at the expense of endangered species. At the same time, Rep. Miller (D-CA) has introduced a moderate bill, H.R. 2351, that strikes a balance between wildlife and landowners without sacrificing protection and recovery for endangered species.
Please vote against S.1180 and support H.R. 2351.
* SIGNED *