The bill reached a record level of support in the last Congress with 106 cosponsors. Intensive recreational and commercial development also threaten to turn the public lands into nothing more than a scenic backdrop for entertaining tourists and providing new and unique shopping opportunities. We face a crisis of extinction. Globally, fish, wildlife, and plants are disappearing at 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate. In the US, a third of our species are at risk.
Invasive species are also a serious threat to native ecosystems and species.
The Endangered Species Act is already under attack with new legislation proposed in the 107th Congress to rewrite its provision and undermine the protection of species and their habitats. Since then, there have been many questions about the details of the Act and how it will be implemented. The Act can potentially be harmful to the environment depending on how a county decides to spend their project funds. Since, the Act has little environmental sideboards on what types of land management projects would be allowed it is important for activists to participate in and monitor the activities of the RACs. In April 24 Efforts to stop harmful logging projects, to reduce logging subsidies and to pass legislation to end commercial logging on federal lands are continuing.