Joe Hogsett: Please designate May 19th, 2017, as Endangered Species Day
The Endangered Species Act, the safety net that protects fish, plants, and wildlife from extinction, is one of the most popular laws in our nation’s history. Nearly all voters (90%) recognize the importance of and support the Endangered Species Act. The Act is one of the most effective environmental protection laws, having helped to prevent the extinction of the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, gray wolf, grizzly bear, and many other species important to the cultural and environmental health of the nation.
Endangered Species Day is both a celebration of these successes and an opportunity to engage in a day of service to further conservation efforts for imperiled species. Parks, schools, civic organizations, and others have held events around the U.S. and worldwide.
Endangered Species Day was started by a Senate Resolution in 2006 and has been recognized by mayors around the country in the ensuing years.
Designating May 19th as Endangered Species Day to celebrate species recovered thanks to the Endangered Species Act will bring attention to those conservation success stories and to actions we can take to protect imperiled species and the lands they rely on.