Navigating for Noah: Setting New Directions for Endangered Species Protection in the 21st Century

Abstract

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) recognizes the impact of human activities on animals and plants and expresses Congress’ intent to halt extinction and restore species to their natural abundance. Although the goals of the ESA include conserving the ecosystems upon which endangered species depend, none of the statute’s implementation provisions directly address ecosystem protection. Rather, they are focused on the individual species themselves. Saving species one at a time is not a successful strategy for saving wildlife, especially in the face of climate change. Habitat loss is the primary threat to species; habitat conservation is the best way to address the problem of species extinction. Vitalizing the ecosystem goal of the ESA and creating a biological diversity land conservation system in the United States are two ways to assure long term species survival.