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For Immediate Release
Bald Eagle Could Be Last Endangered Species to Recover If Dangerous Pombo Bill Becomes Law
New Report Highlights the Successful Recovery of the Bald Eagle, Cites Damage Pombo Pesticide Provision Could Cause to Endangered Wildlife
Washington, D.C. -- As the stage is being set for Senate action on the Endangered Species Act, Defenders of Wildlife released a report today that highlights how Rep. Pombo's bill would undermine the recovery of endangered plants and animals. Titled "Pesticides and Wildlife," the report (www.saveesa.org) exposes the deadly provision in the Pombo bill that would allow pesticides to enter the market without any consideration for their potentially lethal impact on endangered wildlife.
Under current law, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service in advance of licensing any pesticide that may harm threatened or endangered plants and animals. This process assures that wildlife experts have the opportunity to evaluate the potential damage to a listed species before pesticide use occurs and is an essential feature of the act. Pombo's bill, passed by the House of Representatives last year, would change all that.
"By exempting EPA from the consultation process, dangerous pesticides will freely enter the market without any regard to their impact on our nation's imperiled wildlife," said Jamie Rappaport Clark, executive vice president of Defenders of Wildlife.
"You would think that after almost losing our beloved national symbol, the bald eagle to the deadly effects of pesticides, Congress would ensure that any law they pass would not cause us to potentially relive that sad time in our nation's history," said Clark.
Thirty years ago the bald eagle was near extinction, with a mere 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. Thanks to the banning of DDT by the EPA in 1973 and the protections provided by the Endangered Species Act, the bald eagle is now fully recovered and ready to come off the list of threatened and endangered species.
"We won't have many more success stories like the bald eagle if the Pombo bill becomes law," said Clark.
The report illustrates the important role that consultation with wildlife experts plays in keeping dangerous pesticides off the market. With more pesticides introduced into the market every year, it is critical to consider their impacts before they enter the market, not after their potentially deadly effects occur.
Thanks to the present consultation requirements, chlorfenapyr -- one of the most reproductively toxic pesticides to birds ever evaluated -- never reached the market and buffer zones have been created to restrict pesticide use around rivers and streams to conserve salmon in the Northwest.
"The Endangered Species Act is the only wildlife protection law that offers safeguards to protect imperiled wildlife from the fatal impacts of pesticides," said Clark. "Other laws only punish the offender after the damage is done."
Although required by law, the EPA consults with wildlife agencies infrequently. As a result, many pesticides on the market today are still impacting wildlife. In fact, an estimated 67 million birds are killed by pesticides each year in the United States. By removing the pesticide consultation requirement, it ensures that more species will be harmed by the deadly impacts of pesticides, not less.
"EPA has proved time and again that they do not have the mandate or expertise to make informed decisions on the effects of pesticides on wildlife," said Clark.
"You can not separate pesticide regulation and wildlife protection. If Pombo's bill becomes law a necessary tool to protect wildlife will be lost to us and the effectiveness of the act will be severely undermined," said Clark.
It was both the banning of DDT, a widely used pesticide known to make egg shells too thin to support the weight of a nesting mother, and the protections offered by the Endangered Species Act that led to the bald eagle recovery.
"Our children today are fortunate to enjoy the sight of a bald eagle flying through our skies, " said Clark. "But if Pombo's bill becomes law, future generations may lose out on seeing this majestic bird as well as other treasured wildlife."
Read the Report: here
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Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 490,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.
