Mark this date on your action calendar: May 10.

Between now and then, you have a chance to help end one of the worst environmental assaults by former President Bush—his attempt to gut the Endangered Species Act.

On his way out of office, Bush wrote a rule that allows agencies to skip review by federal wildlife scientists on projects like road building, oil and gas leasing and logging. This scientific review is critical in making sure that these projects don't harm endangered species and their habitats.

Fortunately, President Obama signed a law that gives Interior Secretary Ken Salazar 60 days to withdraw the damaging Bush regulations. Salazar's deadline is May 10. It's your deadline, too.

Take action now by telling Secretary Salazar to use science when choosing to protect our most vulnerable creatures. Ask him to restore this key safeguard of the ESA—the commonsense requirement for independent scientific review of federal projects that could threaten endangered wildlife.

As it stands now, federal agencies involved with projects like highway, bridge, dam, and airport construction may ignore wildlife experts and determine for themselves what impact their work will have on endangered wildlife.

We can't allow our federal agencies to see no evil.

If Secretary Salazar fails to rescind the Bush regulations within this time period, the regulations stay in effect and wildlife on the brink of extinction will lose legal protections they need to survive.

The clock is ticking—we only have a few more days to tell Secretary Salazar to rescind the Bush regulations and keep precious wildlife under the protection of a strong Endangered Species Act.

Please, act now.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Please rescind the 11th hour Bush administration regulations under Section 4(d) and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These drastic changes to the ESA significantly limit our nation's ability to protect our most endangered wildlife -- from polar bears and wolves, to whooping cranes and whales.

A real-time example of why this system of scientific checks and balances is so important: a report by biologists at the National Marine Fisheries Service found that three EPA-approved pesticides are causing serious harm to endangered stocks of west coast salmon. This review was triggered under the very section of the Endangered Species Act that the Bush administration was hoping to undo.

The proposed regulation is also intended to stop consideration of global warming impacts on species that are imperiled by climate change. Species like polar bears, salmon, and many others are harmed through the numerous actions that incrementally are driving climate change. Turning a blind eye to this kind of analysis has no basis in the law and makes no sense as a matter of policy.

Congress gave you a powerful tool to fight these changes. You can rescind these regulations with the stroke of a pen.

I urge you to restore the ESA to its full strength, restore scientific integrity to the ESA process, and retain consideration of climate change impacts in decision-making.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 31, 2009