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Oppose a Bush Administration Policy Limiting the Scope of the Endangered Species Act

As a conservation scientist, please sign the below letter calling for rescission of the solicitor's memorandum that specified that only a species' current range is relevant to the analysis of whether species are endangered, and that once a species is determined to be endangered in a significant portion of its range, it is entitled to be listed in only the portion identified as significant.

This policy will result in imperiled species that have lost substantial portions of range being denied protection and other species only receiving protection in those small portions of their range where they are most endangered.

For example, the Gunnison's prairie dog was found to warrant protection in only roughly 40 percent of its current range, despite the fact that it has already lost 95 percent of its historic range and faces the same threats throughout its entire range.

Links:
Conservation Biology article (in press) with discussion of the impact of the solicitor's memorandum on species conservation
Published legal analysis of the solicitor's memorandum
Conservation Biology comment on the interpretation of SPOIR language
Conservation Biology article (in press) on geography and recovery under the Endangered Species Act

For more information, contact Endangered Species Program Director Noah Greenwald at ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org.


Letter subject:  Please rescind the solicitor's SPOIR memo

Dear Secretary Salazar,

As conservation scientists, we are writing to you to request that you rescind the 2007 solicitor's memorandum (M-37013) reinterpreting the phrase "significant portion of its range" (SPOIR) in the definition of endangered species in the Endangered Species Act. 

The memorandum sharply limits the scope of the ESA by limiting the analysis of whether species are endangered to current range and by specifying that when species are found to be endangered in a SPOIR, they will only be listed in the portion of range considered significant. 

We are concerned that these interpretations will result in imperiled species not receiving protection and limit where species that are listed are ultimately recovered. We are also concerned that the memorandum will limit protection for endangered species to small portions of ranges where they may not be recoverable.

The ESA is our strongest law for protecting the species and ecosystems of the United States. It is of critical importance that the law be implemented in a manner that provides protection to the many species that need it in all or significant portions of their range and to recover species and their habitats in as much of their historical range as possible. For all of these reasons, we ask that you rescind the solicitor's memorandum on SPOIR.

Sincerely, 




 

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