DelBene: Stop Undermining the Endangered Species Act

Statement

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today joined more than 90 colleagues in sending President Obama a letter expressing concerns over anti-wildlife provisions included in various legislation likely to reach his desk.

"If enacted, these provisions would undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA), upend management of our national wildlife refuges and other federally protected lands, and harm individual species at risk of extinction. We urge you to maintain steadfast opposition to all of these provisions and reject any legislation that includes them," the letter stated. "We urge you to ensure that all of these attacks on the ESA and wildlife are removed from any legislation you sign into law. We owe it to all Americans present and future to protect our natural heritage and leave behind a legacy of sound environmental stewardship."

Anti-wildlife provisions were included in the House and Senate FY 2017 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bills, the House-passed energy package, and the FY 2017 House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The most harmful provisions include efforts to strip existing ESA protections for certain gray wolf populations, gut protections for African elephants by restricting the sale of ivory and override protections for salmon and other native fish. The letter was led by Reps. Dingell and Beyer.

DelBene has cosponsored the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act (H.R. 3526), the Global Anti-Poaching Act (H.R. 2494) and the Targeted Use of Sanctions for Killing Elephants and Rhinoceros (TUSKER) Act (H.R. 1945) to stop the killing of species proposed to be listed as threatened or endangered.

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