Josh Antonucci

Ms. Larson
English 2 Period 6
19 February 2015

Endangered Species Act: Friend or Foe?

Think of your favorite animal. Now, imagine a world without that animal. It is arguable
whether or not the Endangered Species Act, which is controlled by the Environmental Science
Associates also known as ESA, are doing their job in protecting and helping endangered species
thrive or causing them to die out even faster by not helping in enough ways. Some believe that
the ESA are doing their job by creating and following through with their recovery plans,
involving the public to help, and making progress on the rehabilitation of many species.
However others say, they are also focusing on species that dont need help, making promises that
have not and will not come to fruition, and causing many, damaging conflicts with the public.
The ESA are indeed doing their job by creating and following through with their recovery
plans. In his article Researchers Try to Save Huge U.S. Salamander, Callahan writes that
researchers are urging landowners to plant trees and grasses along rivers to improve the water
quality. They are trying to make rivers clean, mainly the rivers where endangered salamanders
live. Moneywise China has invested more than four hundred billion RMB to preserve natural
forests and develop reforestation. These resources have played a big role in restoring and
expanding the habitat of wildlife (Xiaoming). Four hundred billion RMB is equivalent to sixty
four billion, eighty three million, fifty two thousand in U.S. currency. All that money just for
forests. These are a few ways, not just the ESA, but many other agencies are doing to help
endangered species.

Some agencies are reaching out to the public about the ESA in hope to help endangered
animals. For example, The international coalition is seeking help from the public for
information that could help track down the nine suspects whose cases have been singled out for
the initial phase of the investigation (Deen). These nine suspects have been smuggling animals
or other crimes involving endangered species. The U.N. and other agencies are trying to catch
the suspects and prevent more people from becoming suspects. In recent years, China has
placed greater emphasis on wildlife protection and enforced stricter measures (Xiaoming) this is
Chinas attempt to reach out to the public by putting guidelines on wildlife and the protection of
it. Publicity can play a big role in saving endangered species.
Rehabilitating is a big part in trying to save endangered species. A team who is working
to save U.S. salamanders has been doing everything they can to help the species, including
raising young hellbenders to be released into the wild to bolster the population (Callahan), but
not just hellbenders are being rehabilitated in safe places, many other species are as well.
Hellbenders are North America's largest salamanders. Yet, with their alien appearances and
mysterious ways they have a bad reputation. In a neighboring Jilin province, thanks to a decade
long hunting ban, populations of hare, roe deer, boar, and other wildlife have all risen
significantly (Xiaoming), representing that China has taken big measures in endangered species
and trying to save them. Having a hunting ban might not stop all people from hunting animals
but its obviously helping in more ways than not. They are taking animals into safe areas and
taking care of them while in rehabilitation. Then, once they are more safe and have reproduced
they are released back in their natural habitat to continue living as they once had.
Although some may say that the ESA have been creating and following through with
their recovery plans, involving the public to help, and making progress on the rehabilitation of

many species, many completely disagree. The ESA have decided to disguise their lack of help to
animals in need by helping animals that are not endangered. For example, the ESA have listed
prairie dogs as an endangered species despite the fact that there are 40,000 in the region (Shiff
and MacDonald) of Cedar City alone. This is a deceptive tactic the ESA uses to take focus off of
endangered animals, including cheetahs, and focus their energies on prolific species such as
prairie dogs. This helps the ESA to maintain a positive reputation by making them seem more
productive than they are. In turn, this causes animals that are endangered to become even more
scarce. Recently, the ESA have decided that as long as a small, geographically isolated
population remains viable, it won't matter if the animal or plant in question has disappeared
across the vast swath of its former habitat. It won't qualify for protection (Nelson, Vucetich). In
other words, even if a species is completely missing from their main habitat, if there is a small,
concentrated amount in another area, they will not be protected. In regards to this, the reader
cant help but notice that the ESA need to change the way they go about things. The ESAs
attempt to sustain a favorable position is damaging the growth of endangered species more than
it is assisting.
The ESA make promises they will not and do not keep in order to maintain their positive
facade. The ESA [have] promised results to please environmentalists [and] [have] failed to
excite them(Zeller). Additionally, in 2013 the amount of disappointment among the
environmentalists hit a boiling point(Zeller). Regardless of the ESA and environmentalists
working to achieve the same goal, the ESAs failure to remain consistent in fulfilling their
guarantees has caused a lot of conflict between the two. Furthermore, the ESA have also stated
that they will keep animals protected with the abundant amount of money they are given.
However, The republicans said only 2 percent of protected species have been recovered despite

billions of dollars in federal and state spending. (Brown).Billions of dollars is a lot of invested
money to see such little effects. Therefore, the reader is left to wonder, where did the billions of
dollars of taxpayers money get distributed to? Overall, one can see that the ESA have many
problems in keeping consistent with their promises.
Not only are the ESA having trouble doing their job with the wildlife, they are also
having conflicts working with the public as well. The issues lie in the fact that the ESA are
putting so many ridiculous restrictions on how humans are allowed to act; it is causing the people
to turn against the ESA. At this point a forest landowner harvesting timber, [or] a farmer
plowing new ground...potentially [stand] in the same position as a poacher taking aim at a
whooping crane (Bean). It is absurd to put such harsh regulations on how a person can treat
their own property. Due to all the resentment private landowners have against the ESA, they
have now created the 3 Ss--Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up(Anderson) to show their rebellion.
Private landowners are purposefully going out and harming species to act out against the ESA. If
the ESA put reasonable restrictions on helpful areas, the citizens wouldnt feel the need to harm
more animals. Furthermore, the ESA are managing private landowners land, and costing them a
lot of money in doing so. If landowners are going to become full partners in the endangered
species conservation effort, genuine incentives will need to be offered to cover some of the costs
of habitat restoration and management (Bean). If we are to see any progress in the growth of
endangered species, the ESA and the public need to work together. Thanks to the ESA, the public
is forced into a revolution against the system, and more animals are being harmed than being
saved.
In conclusion, the reader can see that the issues surrounding the Endangered Species Act
are very controversial. Some may say that the ESA have done their job by creating and following

through with their recovery plans, involving the public to help, and making progress on the
rehabilitation of many species. Yet, there are others who have said that they are also focusing on
species that dont need help, promising results that have not and will not come to fruition, and
they are causing conflict with the public. Although both sides have evidence supporting their
side, it is up to the reader to decide whether the ESA are protecting endangered species, or
putting them in even more crisis than before. Only time will be able to tell whether the
endangered species of the world have sufficient protection or not. This controversial subject has
a large impact on our world because if the ESA do not do their job then more and more animals
will become endangered which in turn, will lead to the extinction of animals that are necessary
for human life.

Works Cited
Anderson, Terry L. When the Endangered Species Act Threatens Wildlife. Wall Street
Journal 21 Oct. 2014: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.
Bean, Michael J. Endangered Species, Endangered Act? Environment Feb. 1999: n.
pag. SIRS. Web. 5 Feb. 2015.
Brown, Matthew. Changes Sought for Endangered Act. Great Falls Tribune 4 Feb.
2014: n. pag. SIRS. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.

Callahan, Rick. Researchers Try to Save Huge U.S. Salamanders. Indianapolis Star
[Indianapolis] 10 july 2014: n. pag. SIRS. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
Deen, Thalif. Led by Interpol U.N. Tracks Environment Criminals. GIN 28 Nov. 2014:
n. pag. SIRS. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
Schiff, Damien, and Julie MacDonald. The Endangered Species Act Turns 40. Wall
Street Journal 28 Dec. 2013: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
Vucetich, John, and Paul Nelson. Conservation or Curation? New York Times 21 Aug.
2014: n. pag. SIRS. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.
Xiaoming, Liu. Amid environmental destruction, China is battling to protect wildlife.
Reuters media. N.p., 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.
Zeller, Shawn. Long List of Species Still Awaiting Federal Rulings. Roll Call 23 Nov.
2014: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.