Legislation: How can it help?
Global Treaty:
___CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)__:
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Approx. 175 nations working together to protect species from going extinct
Regulates trade of endangered species
Monitors trade of threatened species
Enacted in _1973__
Enforcement in the U.S. = __USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)__
United States Federal Laws:
___Lacey Act_____: (Senator John Lacey)
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Enacted in 1900 (William McKinley)
FIRST piece of environmental legislation in U.S.
Originally: preservation of game/birds
o Prohibited trade (live or dead) across state borders without a permit
Today: mostly meant to prevent the spread of invasive species
o Prohibits the illegal trade of wildlife
Enforcement: ____USFWS_____
_Migratory Bird Act__:
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Enacted in 1918
Protects birds that migrate between U.S. and Canada (FLYWAYS!!)
o It was later extended to Mexico, Japan, and Russia
Enforcement: ___USFWS_____
Example: Exxon and Pacific Corp have had to pay millions in fines and
upgrades
__Endangered Species Act______:
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Enacted in 1973 (Richard Nixon)
Defines a species as in danger of extinction
Protect critical habitat and make a recovery plan
____USFWS_____________: in charge of “the list” and enforcement
Tool implemented to enforce CITES
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Bald Eagle (increased from 417 to 11,040 pairs between 1963 and 2007);
removed from list 2007
Whooping Crane (increased from 54 to 436 birds between 1967 and 2003)
Kirtland's Warbler (increased from 210 to 1,415 pairs between 1971 and 2005)
Peregrine Falcon (increased from 324 to 1,700 pairs between 1975 and 2000);
removed from list
Gray Wolf (populations increased dramatically in the Northern Rockies,
Southwest, and Great Lakes)
Gray Whale (increased from 13,095 to 26,635 whales between 1968 and 1998);
removed from list (Debated because whaling was banned before the ESA was set
in place and that the ESA had nothing to do with the natural population increase
since the cease of massive whaling [excluding Native American tribal whaling])
Grizzly bear (increased from about 271 to over 580 bears in the Yellowstone area
between 1975 and 2005); removed from list 3/22/07
California’s Southern Sea Otter (increased from 1,789 in 1976 to 2,735 in 2005)
San Clemente Indian Paintbrush (increased from 500 plants in 1979 to more than
3,500 in 1997)
Red Wolf (increased from 17 in 1980 to 257 in 2003)
Florida's Key Deer (increased from 200 in 1971 to 750 in 2001)
Big Bend Gambusia (increased from a couple dozen to a population of over
50,000)
Hawaiian Goose (increased from 400 birds in 1980 to 1,275 in 2003)
Virginia Big-Eared Bat (increased from 3,500 in 1979 to 18,442 in 2004)
Black-Footed Ferret (increased from 18 in 1986 to 600 in 2006)
What if an endangered species is on private property???
Physical taking of property
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___Eminent Domain____: owner forced to sell property for public good –
compensated fair market value
Regulatory management of property
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Owners keep property but are not allowed to use it or develop it if it is
endangered species habitat
o No compensation
o Can decrease property value