Endangered Species Act doesn’t deserve extinction

To the Editor:

Upon hearing of the possible defunding or dismantling of the Endangered Species Act, I have taken it upon myself to reflect on why I care about these species, the importance of this act, and what can be done to help.

I care about endangered species because they cannot speak up for themselves. They are living creatures, not commodities, and they need help. Many of the animals on the endangered species list have been affected by human actions like agriculture, suburban sprawl, climate change, pollution and commercial logging.

The purpose of the ESA is to prevent the extinction of threatened and endangered species, conserve the ecosystems they depend on, and promote their recovery. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, populations of 47 important species have been successfully restored nationwide. Current extinction rates are over 100 times larger than ever before -- this is an urgent issue, and the intrinsic value placed on the presence of diverse and abundant plant and animal species on the landscape has long been hailed as a fundamental American principle.

When Republican President Richard Nixon signed the ESA into law by in 1973 he said, “nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.”

I encourage those reading to turn their compassion into action and contact Sens. Donnelly and Young and encourage them not to vote for any legislation that would weaken or dismantle the Endangered Species Act.

Quinn Keegan

Greencastle