Protecting and Restoring Endangered Species

Beetles, mountainsnails, grasshoppers, spiders, moths, fishes, salamanders, prickly pears, oaks, milkvetches, buckwheats, daisies, penstemons, cacti, mosses, and yuccas: The diversity of plants and animals in the West—not to mention on our planet as a whole—is phenomenal. But these plants and animals are in danger of disappearing before our very eyes. Human activities such as livestock grazing, oil and gas drilling, logging, mining, and the spewing of pollutants that have lead to the climate crisis are indisputably the cause of imperilment for most of these species.

Nationwide, scientists have estimated that 6,000-9,000 species are at risk of extinction or endangerment. Yet, less than 1,400 of these species are lucky enough to be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  This law has been very effective at preventing extinction.  However, because of the federal government’s refusal to fully implement the ESA, we are losing our best hope of stemming the extinction crisis.

WildEarth Guardians’ Endangered Species campaigns work to shift this imbalance and avert the crisis before it’s too late.

Since we lack the money and clout of the destructive industries we fight, WildEarth Guardians is strategic about how we advocate for species protection.  Of course, we believe all native species must be protected from extinction.  But to maximize the effectiveness of our efforts for all species, we prioritize the protection of umbrella, keystone, and indicator species such as sage-grouse, prairie dogs and wolves. Because every thread in the web of life is interconnected, the protections we gain for these focal species will ripple out across entire ecosystems.

Through the Western Ark, we are also trying creative ways to put the burden back on the federal government to itself pursue species protection efforts.

What is protection versus recovery?

WildEarth Guardians’ efforts to protect endangered species are varied in approach. But generally our goal is to see species on the brink of extinction listed under the ESA and given habitat and other protections that will stop declines in the species’ populations.

Species recovery happens when an imperiled species is already listed under the ESA.  WildEarth Guardians works with (and, where necessary, against) government agencies to ensure that environmental laws are being implemented and protections provided are actually helping species’ populations return to healthy levels.

From advocating for more funding for the ESA to petitioning for the protection of individual species to filing listing requests for hundreds of species at once, our endangered species protection and recovery campaigns are always fierce and innovative.  Our end goal is always to protect and restore the West’s rich tapestry of life.