Why Save Endangered Species?
In the preamble of the Endangered Species Act, Congress recognized that our diverse assemblage of plants and animals are of “esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value to our nation and its people.” It further expressed concern that many of the nation’s native species were in danger of becoming extinct.
The authors of the ESA made an unmistakable strong statement regarding the preservation of our nation’s natural heritage. For 50 years, the law has protected America's imperiled plants and animals—from the carnivorous green pitcher plant of southeastern wetlands, to the western snowy plover of northwestern beaches, to the iconic polar bear of the Arctic.
