The Endangered Species Act celebrates its 50th birthday in December 2023, and there is good reason for environmentalists to cheer its legacy. Later described by the Supreme Court as "the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation," the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has helped protect iconic animals like humpback whales, sea otters, whooping cranes and West Indian manatees. Because some animals face different threats based on their biology and environment, the ESA is divided into tiers for determining their existential risks — polar bears, for example, are "threatened."
Without the ESA public declarations about various animals being "endangered" or "at risk" would be meaningless gestures. It's one thing to say "save the whales" and another to actually do it. The only reason the United States government has any power to protect wildlife from human depredation is because of the act.
