Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Animals

Endangered species need to wait 12 years on average for federal protection, six times more than mandated

This takes wait too long -- we need to make haste.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
August 26, 2016
in Animals, Biology, News

The Pacific walrus is at risk of extinction because its Arctic habitat is melting. It's still on the waiting list.
The Pacific walrus is at risk of extinction because its Arctic habitat is melting. It’s still on the waiting list.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the strongest and most important federal law protecting imperiled wildlife and plants. Since it was passed in 1973, the ESA has helped protect some of the nation’s greatest treasures from extinction, including beloved American icons such as the bald eagle, the Florida manatee, and the California condor. For a species to become listed, however, it needs to go through a cumbersome process that takes 12.1 years on average, despite an amendment passed by Congress in 1982 which rules that this listing process has a two-year timeline.

For some animals that’s too way too much, and indeed researchers have found that the delay has doomed a couple dozen species to extinction.

We need to haste biodiversity protection

The findings were made by researchers who analyzed the time it took for 1,338 species candidates to become listed under the ESA between 1993 and 2014. They found that on average it took six times more than the designated timeline for a species to finally enter under ESA’s protecting wing. For some species, this process took even longer — up to 38 years. Between 1973 and 1995, the researchers found 42 candidate species went extinct before they had the chance to pass the ESA listing process.

Moreover, the team found that an inter-species bias as vertebrates were processed much faster than invertebrates and flowering plants. For instance, the island night lizard was listed in 1.19 years, well under the approval timeline, but the prairie fringed orchid was listed in 14.7 years, as reported in Biological Conservation. 

The researchers say that if invertebrates and plants are delayed longer than vertebrates this could cause an imbalance in the ecosystem, as these groups comprise the base of the food webs.

For many species getting listed in the ESA is their only chance. Once under the protection of the law, an endangered species can benefit from having its habitat designated as protected, as well as resources allocated from a federal budget.

In light of this situation, a wildlife advocacy group called the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a formal notice with intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The plaintiffs argue that the government has failed to act on petitions to protect more than 400 plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act. Among the species which the CBD mentions in its notice are the Florida sandhill crane, the white-tailed ptarmigan, and eastern diamondback rattlesnake.

“Delayed protection can be deadly for species already on the brink of extinction,” Noah Greenwald, co-author of the study and endangered species director at the CBD, said in a statement. “The longer we wait, the more difficult — and expensive — it becomes to save them. Simply put, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needs to be acting more quickly to decide which species will be protected so the recovery process can begin.”

“Attention should be placed on creating real recovery goals and delisting species when they are no longer considered endangered, rather than overwhelming the agency with paperwork,” said Ethan Lane, executive director for federal lands for the Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Fish and Wildlife Service officials say, however, that the barrage of mega-petitions is paralyzing their efforts. It’s not easy for them either, but all of this pressure might lead to more streamlined processes and resources for the FWS so it can do its job properly.

“The many requests for species petitions has inundated the listing program’s domestic species listing capabilities,” the service wrote in its 2012 budget request.

“These megapetitions are putting us in a difficult spot, and they’re basically going to shut down our ability to list any candidates for the foreseeable future,” said Gary Frazer, the agency’s assistant director for endangered species. “If all our resources are used responding to petitions, we don’t have resources to put species on the endangered species list. It’s not a happy situation.”

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Dogs labeled as ‘pit bull’ wait three times longer to be adopted
  2. Trump administration eliminates new protection for endangered whales and turtles
  3. The US steps up for the bees, adding seven Hawaiian species the Endangered Species List
  4. Dolphins wait in queue for rubbing their skin against corals
  5. Antarctica is losing six times more ice than 40 years ago
Tags: endangered species

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW