Endangered Species Act Essay

When thinking of the word perfect, the United States government doesn’t come to mind. In the same way, the Endangered Species Act, passed by Congress in 1973, is not without flaws. The act’s purpose is to prevent species in the United States from becoming extinct. The law requires that the federal government works to conserve the species that are in danger of disappearing and the habitats that support them. Unfortunately, the measures put in place by the act have not been as effective as possible.

There are a handful of key terms found within the Endangered Species Act. The law states that an “endangered species” is near extinction within all or part of its range, while a “threatened species” is on the border of becoming classified as endangered. “Critical habitat” signifies crucial living area that contains the resources that endangered or threatened species rely on.“Biological opinions” are statements that express if a development project could potentially harm rare organisms. Lastly, “recovery plans” are blueprints that

Mankind is responsible for the decrease in population in many species; human development tends to upset the balance of local ecosystems. It is worth the time and hard work of the government to maintain biodiversity because of how crucial healthy ecosystems are for the profit of the country and the well-being of the planet. The act was designed to conserve the variety in wildlife for the decades to come. Due to the protection measures provided by the legislation, the decline of some species has been halted or even reversed. However, faults are present in the law that hinder the act’s effectiveness and efficiency in the meeting of its goal. Lawsuits and regulations, which are products of the act, can be harmful to the economy. Recovery plans for species are sometimes poorly outlined or nonexistent. The Endangered Species Act needs a lot of