Rodger On The Diane Rehm Show

Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen

Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen was invited to join a panel yesterday on The Diane Rehm Show to discuss the recent wolf rider on the budget bill and the future of the Endangered Species Act. (click here to listen).

He was joined by Andrew Revkin, author of the well-known New York Times blog Dot Earth, Jonathan Adler, an environmental law professor from Case Western Reserve University, and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM). The four debated why stripping federal protections for wolves via legislation sets such a dangerous precedent as well as what needs to be done to make the Act stronger.

Here are a few highlights from the show:

• (5:15) Rodger did an excellent job of outlining the failings of Congress and the Obama administration (Secretary Salazar, in particular) in selling out wolves and opening the door for other species to be micromanaged by politicians.
• (22:50) Later on in the show, he also stepped in to debunk Pearce’s bogus rhetoric about blocking protections for endangered species in southeastern New Mexico, where the congressman is trying to give oil and gas companies veto power over wildlife conservation efforts.
• (20:00) Pearce had the gall to say that he supports the ESA “100 percent,” with no mention of the fact that he has been a leading proponent of several bills that would completely undermine species protection. This includes legislation he introduced last session to derail recovery of the Mexican wolf in the Southwest, where only 50 wolves survive in the wild. He also advocated for keeping Delta smelt alive in holding ponds next to rivers and providing spotted owls with tiny “sanctuaries” instead of protecting the entire ecosystems that these inhabit. Clearly, Pearce thinks it’s sufficient to have glorified zoos instead of true wilderness.
• (34:30) Rodger also took the opportunity to remind listeners and his fellow panelists that the Endangered Species Act has been a tremendous success. In nearly four decades, only 9 out of more than 1,800 protected species have gone extinct and iconic species like wolves, grizzly bears, bison and bald eagles are thriving once again. He called the Act “one of our most moral laws.” The law makes it clear that it is our duty as humans to protect other forms of life on the planet. He added that the loss of biological diversity, along with climate change, is perhaps the biggest danger to future generations because it constitutes the web of life that supports a healthy environment.
• (44:30) Though the ESA could always work better, Rodger said it couldn’t do much more given how starved it has been for funding. Endangered species protection receives less than 1/100 of one percent (<0.01%) of the federal budget, even though it’s one of the most important inter-generational issues our planet is facing. And weakened the Act or taking away funding will only further limit our ability to stop extinction and protect our lands.

Defenders will be working hard over the next several months to demonstrate just how vital endangered species act protections are. We will need the help of all our allies and supporters to uphold the values of good stewardship that protect the land and wildlife that we all depend on.