Protecting endangered species in America

America has hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species including imposing mammals like bison and grizzly bears to tiny desert wildflowers. Unfortunately, most of these species have become endangered over the past few decades suffering from things such as habitat loss and the spread of invasive species. Scientists in America estimate that up to one-third of U.S. species are at increased risk of extinction, and more than 1,300 U.S. plants and animals already have been federally listed as threatened or endangered and protected under the Endangered Species Act. The National Wildlife Federation has long has working hard for protecting the most defenseless and helpless of these wild species. One of the best ways to protect endangered species is to prevent their decline and deterioration in the first place.

There are many factors that have contributed to the decline of these species and Global Warming is one of the most damaging things that threaten these endangered species. Climate change not only affects our plants and animals directly–through changes in temperature and precipitation for instance–but can worsen the impact on endangered species of traditional threats, such as invasive species, wildfires and diseases. The other thing would be protecting and restoring the habitats on which endangered species and other wildlife depend for their survival, and encouraging wildlife-friendly land management practices. It would also help to reduce threats to wildlife that can lead to their endangerment and extinction, such as loss of habitat, contamination of water and spread of invasive species

The endangered species will also benefit by strengthening the Endangered Species Act, which provides an essential legal safety net to prevent the loss of plant and animal species to extinction. This also needs increased funding for private landowner incentives and other conservation programs that benefit endangered species and holding accountable federal agencies and others accountable for complying with laws protecting rare and endangered species using cooperation, persuasion, and–where necessary– legal action. Global warming is making the protection of endangered species increasingly challenging.  National Wildlife Federation is playing a leadership role in identifying and promoting innovative approaches to safeguard endangered species and other wildlife in the face of a changing climate.

The Endangered Species Act highlights several protective steps that have been created to preserve species that have been listed as Endangered or Threatened. These procedures include limitations on hunting, transporting and trading such as buying and selling the species. Also, the USFWS is authorized to develop recovery plans for Endangered and Threatened species, which outline the steps that need to be taken for the species to recover and eventually be removed from the ESA. For this National Wildlife Federation is making extensive efforts to maintain healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plant species by encouraging extensive conservation efforts such as State Wildlife Action Plans.