FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seven Cabinet Secretaries Petitioned to Combat Global Warming and Speed the Recovery of Endangered Species

First Effort Ever to Seek Binding National Rules on Global Warming

A broad coalition of conservation organizations from across the country today formally petitioned the Bush Administration Cabinet Secretaries to establish binding rules on global warming and the growing potential for significant wildlife extinctions.

Conservation organizations from all regions of the country, including Center for Native Ecosystems, today formally petitioned seven Bush Administration Cabinet Secretaries to establish binding rules on global warming and the growing potential of significant wildlife extinctions this century.  No federal agency presently possesses any regulations on the growing threat of global warming despite the fact that the Departments of Energy and Transportation alone oversee industries responsible for 73% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. 

“Human destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats is causing species extinctions hundreds of times faster than normal.  Climate change on its own will raise the rate to even higher levels.  Worse still, the interaction of these two processes will be devastating,” explained Dr. Stuart Pimm, Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University and the University of Pretoria (South Africa).  “A species’ only hope is to move to cooler regions, something it cannot do when no suitable habitat remains along its intended path.”

Today’s petition also seeks rules that would speed the recovery of endangered species by fundamentally changing the federal government’s focus on preventing extinction to achieving full recovery.  It would require that all federal agencies whose actions impact endangered species to participate in the implementation of existing recovery plans established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service.  Presently, federal agencies routinely ignore and violate these science-based recovery plans.

“Upwards of one-quarter of all the world’s species could disappear forever this century if global warming trends continue,” said Bill Snape, Senior Counsel of the Center for Biological Diversity.  “We are, in fact, already seeing the devastating impacts on endangered species due to greenhouse pollutants.  The Puerto Rican parrot, Alabama beach mouse and Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly have been pushed to the edge of extinction by recent Caribbean hurricanes.  Pacific hurricanes contributed to the extinction of the Kauai ‘o’o. ‘O’u. and other Hawaiian birds.  Drought has reduced the Masked bobwhite and Sonoran pronghorn to critically low numbers.  Unnatural forest fires have ravaged the habitat for the Mount Graham red squirrel and Canada lynx.  The polar bear was recently proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act due to melting sea ice, and many species of penguin may follow suit.” 

Joining the current petition along with the Center for Biological Diversity include California Trout, Center for Native Ecosystems (Colorado), Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Conservation Northwest (Washington), Friends of the Clearwater (Idaho), RESTORE: The North Woods (Maine), Save the Manatee Club (Florida), Sea Turtle Restoration Project/Turtle Island Restoration Network and Arkansas Fly Fishers.   Just recently, petitioner Center for Biological Diversity filed papers in U.S. federal court to compel compliance by the Bush Administration on mandatory climate change reporting requirements, including those relating to biological diversity and human health.

Today’s petition requests the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, Energy, Commerce, Defense, and Transportation to promulgate a sweeping set of regulations, including:

- requiring all federal agencies to include an assessment of global warming and its impacts on imperiled species when undertaking any major federal action, including all reviews under Sections 4, 7, 9, and 10 of the Endangered Species Act;

- requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to conduct a study within three years identifying all threatened and endangered species likely to be impacted by global warming and whether their federal recovery plans need to be updated to better address the threat;

- requiring all federal agencies to ensure their actions do not undermine the recovery of threatened and endangered species, to actively implement recovery plans already approved by the federal government, and to update recovery plans with the best available scientific information (including that related to global warming and habitat loss);

- requiring the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to include benefits as well as costs in their economic analyses of critical habitat for endangered species; and

- providing incentives to states, counties, cities, corporations, and private land owners to restore habitats and protect endangered species.

“Colorado's natural heritage is at risk," explained Erin Robertson, senior staff biologist for the Colorado-based Center for Native Ecosystems.  "Despite the unusual weather this winter, scientists widely agree that our landscapes and our native plants and wildlife face escalating risks if we don't work aggressively to address global warming.  This is a critical first step."

Many of Colorado's endangered plants and wildlife face increasing risk of habitat loss and extinction as the effects of climate change continue to accumulate.  The potential effects of global warming have become so apparent and significant that local governments across Colorado, the ski industry, and many others are actively collaborating on climate change strategies.

Center for Native Ecosystems is dedicated to conserving our endangered plants, wildlife, and habitat.

Download today's petition:  "Endangered Species and Global Warming Initiative"

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