The Endangered Species Act

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Introduction
Biological diversity provides humans with food, energy, medicines and many other resources. Saving endangered species is not only about the moral implications, there are very important economic and scientific implications as well. For example, bee loss means a direct decline in our agricultural industry, leading to scarcity and further economic burdens to provide food. It is also important to note extinction is a natural ecological process. However, humans are causing the extinction rate today to be much higher than what maintains stable ecosystems, at least ten thousand times higher (USDA Forest Service, 1997). It is essential to attempt to stop these losses to prevent domino effects that would hurt entire ecosystems, and in turn …show more content…

This law was passed because there was a great amount of concern over the “esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value” that the United States stood to lose from the extinction of its native plants and animals (Endangered Species Act, 1973). Once an animal or plant is listed under the ESA, after an analysis of their biological condition, it is unlawful for any person to “take” said species. “Take” is defined in the act as to “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct”. The act also prevents habitat modification of species areas under the definition of “harm” (Endangered Species Act, 1973). While the ESA was easily passed through Congress with high bipartisanship, there is one group that is extremely opposed to the law. Private land-owners believe that the way the act makes them unable to use their land if there are endangered species or habitat present is an undue burden on them (Bonnie, 1999). Endangered species on private property have now become an inconvenience and has lead to the "Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up" practice, where landowners destroy any evidence of an endangered species being on their land in the first place so the government cannot come in and control their land (Gebelhoff, 2017). In 2016 the Fish and …show more content…

In this situation everyone benefits. Landowners no longer face an extreme financial burden of having an endangered species on their land, the government has a more efficient way of implementing the ESA and can use mitigation tax money in other areas, and finally endangered species benefit because their habitat is not being

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