WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced a bill that would have dangerous consequences for endangered and threatened species across the country.

The "ESA Amendments Act" (HR 1897), sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), would drastically weaken the Endangered Species Act by rewriting key portions of the bedrock environmental law, decreasing protections for imperiled wildlife.

Among the bill's numerous harmful provisions, it would extend timelines for listing processes, allowing imperiled species to continue to decline while decisions are pending. It would also fast-tracking timelines on delistings, arbitrarily limit federal agencies' role in managing listed species, increase the allowable "take" of threatened species, and narrow critical habitat designations.

Since it was signed into law in 1973 by President Richard Nixon, the ESA has helped more than 99 percent of listed species avoid extinction, with many on the road to population recovery. In a recent national poll, 85 percent of Americans said they support the implementation of ESA measures to prevent extinction.

In response, Bradley Williams, Sierra Club's Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection, released the following statement:

"For more than 50 years, the ESA has provided a vital lifeline for species on the brink of extinction. It remains one of the most effective and popular conservation laws in the country. Chair Westerman's attempts to amend this critical law out of existence would be nothing short of a tragedy. In the midst of a biodiversity crisis, we need to strengthen protections for imperiled species, not seal their fate to provide a short-term boost in profits of corporate polluters. Congress must reject this reckless bill."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.