Neal Herbert / NPS A gray wolf on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

A gray wolf on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

Recognizing that extinction is irreversible, the United States did in 1973 what no country had done before, establishing a commitment to protect and restore the species that are most at risk of extinction. The Endangered Species Act is one of the most popular and effective environmental laws ever enacted. In the four decades since the Endangered Species Act became law, 99% of species protected under the Endangered Species Act have not perished. But in 2019, the Trump administration finalized an “extinction plan,” dramatically weakening the Endangered Species Act and violating the spirit and purpose of the law itself. On behalf of environmental and animal protection groups, Earthjustice has brought the administration to court to challenge the new regulations.

July 31, 2020 The Trump administration has proposed another blow to imperiled species by The Trump administration has proposed another blow to imperiled species by issuing a new definition of “critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act . Earthjustice will continue to defend the Act in court.

It takes millions of years for species to evolve — but if we fail to protect our incredible, diverse fellow species from man-made threats, they can be lost in the blink of an eye. Earthjustice, born in the same era as the Endangered Species Act, has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure this critical statute is enforced, acting in the interest of hundreds of plants and animals to ensure their survival. These benefits extend to people too. Humans are not isolated from their natural environment, and what happens to other creatures affects our own existence, too. These six species are among the many that have been saved from extinction by the Endangered Species Act:

2. Bald Eagles An Endangered Species Act success story, our national symbol today numbers around 10,000 pairs in the United States, recovered from a low of 417 known nesting pairs in 1963. Jacob W. Frank / NPS Protections granted by the Endangered Species Act, including safeguards for prime eagle habitat and work to bring the birds back to areas where they had disappeared as well as the eventual nationwide banning of DDT, were successful in turning the tide for the species. Read Earthjustice's statement from 2005 on the species' recovery.

3. Grizzly Bears Earthjustice has worked for decades to safeguard grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, winning key court cases in 2011 and in 2018 — the most recent court ruling spared grizzlies from a planned trophy hunt and reinstated protections that the administration had illegally taken away. Eric Johnston / NPS The majestic grizzly still exists in the Northern Rockies, despite being eradicated from other parts of the western United States. The majestic grizzly still exists in the Northern Rockies, despite being eradicated from other parts of the western United States.

4. Killer Whales (Southern Resident) Known to frequent the waters of Puget Sound, southern resident killer whales are starving. The critically endangered population reached a 34-year low in 2018 — 75 individuals — a problem exacerbated by the fact that no calves born in the previous three years have survived. Earthjustice legal work secured Endangered Species Act protections for the orcas in 2005. And we've worked for decades to restore the orcas’ primary food source — wild salmon. Miles Ritter / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Southern Residents visit Saturna's East Point on Setp. 10, 2011, heading east to the Fraser River at slack tide. celebrating their arrival with breaches, spyhops, fluking, and rolling. Southern Residents visit Saturna's East Point on Setp. 10, 2011, heading east to the Fraser River at slack tide. celebrating their arrival with breaches, spyhops, fluking, and rolling.

5. Florida Manatees After losing their endangered status in 2018, their population fell by record numbers as sewage, manure, and fertilizer runoff continue to choke their habitat with toxic algae. Earthjustice has worked for years both on behalf of the species and to curb the algae outbreaks. Tobias Frei / Getty Images These beloved marine creatures were brought back from the brink of extinction after receiving protections under the Endangered Species Act. These beloved marine creatures were brought back from the brink of extinction after receiving protections under the Endangered Species Act.

6. Whooping Cranes Earthjustice is challenging in court the use of the highly toxic pesticide Enlist Duo — a combination of glyphosate and 2,4-D — that the rare cranes are likely to consume on their migration path. Jim Carpenter / U.S. FWS This delicate bird is one of the most endangered animals on earth. This delicate bird is one of the most endangered animals on earth.

The Endangered Species Act is wildly popular among American voters. According to a national poll conducted in 2015, 90% of American voters support the Act — impressive results in an era of partisan strife. Scientists believe we are currently undergoing the sixth mass wave of extinction ever to impact our planet. Stemming from human activity, this loss of biodiversity is occurring at an unprecedented pace. Many species — no one knows how many — are disappearing even before they are discovered. That’s why the Endangered Species Act is urgently needed. Scientists estimated that without the Act, at least 227 additional species would have gone extinct between 1973 and 2005. As important, the Act has protected millions of acres of forests, beaches, and wetlands — those species’ essential habitats — from degradation. Thanks to this legal safety net, today’s children are able to experience the wonder of rare wild creatures as living, breathing parts of our natural heritage, not as dusty museum specimens. Now the Endangered Species Act is under political attack.