For America’s Rarest Wildlife, Survival May Hinge on a Single Word
For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has defined "harm" as not just injury to individuals but to the habitat on which they depend. By narrowing that definition, the Trump administration is leaving hundreds of species at risk of extinction. Read more on E360 →
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been a crucial factor in the survival of America's rarest wildlife. One such example is the black-footed ferret, once thought to be extinct before its rediscovery in 1981. In 1986, only 18 black-footed ferrets remained on Earth, six of which were in captivity at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Sybille wildlife research facility.
The species' survival can now hinge on a single word: 'harm.' Under the new definition, it's legal for developers to build on black-footed ferret habitat, allowing ranchers and agencies to poison prairie dogs and developers to construct housing on the same land. This will lead to the extinction of the black-footed ferret, a species that relies almost exclusively on prairie dogs for food and shelter.
The ESA has had other success stories, like the northern spotted owl and red-cockaded woodpecker. The owl depends on dense old-growth forests, while the woodpecker prefers living trees. Both species' habitats were impacted by logging and wildfire prevention, which contributed to their decline. However, the ESA intervened, and through 'Safe Harbor' agreements, landowners agreed to create new habitats for these species in return for the right to log them.
This has led to a remarkable 430% increase in the red-cockaded woodpecker population since the late 1970s.
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