Protecting and strengthening the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 has remained a high priority for the Pennsylvania Audubon Council. The ESA is landmark legislation that has resulted in incredible success for the recovery of endangered species for many species of birds and other wildlife. The remarkable recovery of the Bald Eagle is often cited as one of the stellar examples of the importance of this law.

There have been numerous attempts to weaken the ESA over the last two years, and our Council and Chapter leaders have responded.

• • • We worked with the Defenders of Wildlife to address early threats within the Department of Defense (DOD) budget. These threats would have allowed the DOD to set aside ESA protections on the millions of acres of property that are on our military bases. Our chapters were represented in outreach to Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick, Mackenzie, and Bresnahan. Visits to their District Offices and other outreach from our chapter advocates were successful. All three of these representatives cast votes to defeat amendments in the DOD budget and sustain the ESA requirements for our military bases.
    • We worked with the Endangered Species Coalition to address the proposed legislation of Congressman Westerman (Arkansas, R-4) that would have resulted in the evisceration of the ESA. Phone calls, visits to the district offices and participation in a “fly-in” to meet our legislators in Washington D.C. served to stave off this proposed legislation. The leadership of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society were prominently represented in this effort.
    • Council leadership immediately reacted to the most recent threat from the Trump Administration has announced new guidelines that seriously degrade the importance of the protection of habitat in the protection of endangered species. These threats resulted in lawsuits filed by the environmental community to challenge these new rules. Our Council leadership urged the National Audubon Society to lend its support to these legal challenges. Our Council was not alone as the lead article in the National Audubon Society’s July 31st Chapter Leader Update reflects. In short, Audubon has not planned to add its name with any of the coalitions that have filed suits.

With the goal to keep our chapters informed, we provide links to the Council’s efforts to encourage Audubon to join the legal response. Here are links to key items of correspondence:

The Pennsylvania Audubon Council will continue to act on these continuing threats to the Endangered Species Act. Our Council’s Conservation and Advocacy Committee and our Board of Directors will assess options to build on what we have invested over the last two years and fight the good fight to protect birds and wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. In the meantime, follow communications through the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Advocacy and Communication “Google Group” and postings on the Council Face Book page.