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Wildlife Conservation Agenda for the Obama Administration
Letter from Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife:
September 25, 2008
Dear Friend of Defenders of Wildlife,
As we look forward to a new presidential administration, it is my pleasure to share with you Defenders of Wildlife’s Wildlife Conservation Agenda for the Next Administration.
Download the Wildlife Conservation Agenda
From Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, conservationist presidents have worked to expand and strengthen our commitment to protecting our environment. Today it is difficult to imagine an America without our magnificent national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and other protected public lands. The howl of wolves roaming free in Yellowstone, the magnificence of brown bears in Alaska gorging themselves on salmon and berries, and the thrilling sight of bald eagles soaring in the sky are all gifts we enjoy thanks to the vision of strong conservation leaders in previous administrations, regardless of party.
Over the past eight years, however, we have witnessed what happens when conservation leadership is lacking. From the erosion and undermining of important conservation laws such as the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Clean Water Act, to the squelching of science for political gain, to the abdication of leadership on global warming—the most important environmental and social issue of our time—the outgoing administration has been a disaster for conservation and for the environmental legacy we are leaving for our children and grandchildren.
Much of the damage that has been done will not be easily undone. But we can reclaim our environmental laws, policies, and lands and renew our nation’s commitment to conservation of our natural heritage. The new administration that will take office on January 20, 2009 has the opportunity and, indeed, the obligation, to restore our nation’s historic role as a global leader for conservation and to renew and enhance the role of the federal government as a leader and cooperative partner in preserving and restoring the vast natural wealth of this great country.
The next President should promise to be a strong and consistent voice for wildlife conservation and sustainable management of wildlife habitat. Wildlife Conservation Agenda for the Next Administration provides a roadmap for fulfilling this promise. We call on the new administration to promise to:
- End
the political manipulation of science
- Responsibly manage
America’s
federal lands
- Safeguard
America’s rarest
plants and wildlife
- Make
America a leader
in addressing global warming and its impacts
- Restore
America’s role
as a global leader in wildlife conservation
- Restore our connection to
nature through education and proper stewardship of our shared federal lands
- Encourage private landowners, states, and tribes to conserve wildlife and habitat
We stand ready to work with the new administration to carry out these promises and once again make this nation the world’s leader in conservation. And thank you for all you do to support our work to protect wildlife and its habitat.
Sincerely,
Rodger Schlickeisen
President
Transition White Papers
These White Papers provide a detailed explanation of the seven points outlined in Defenders' Wildlife Conservation Agenda, with recommendations for action by the Obama administration in its first 100 days, first year, and first term.
Transition to Green
Defenders of Wildlife has also endorsed, along with nearly 30 other conservation organizations, a series of policy recommendations covering a wide range of environmental issues. Read the report, Transition to Green, at www.saveourenvironment.org.
