Moreover, people have to wonder what will happen to the 20 or more bald eagles living in the area. It is interesting to note how different the standards of enforcement are. In contrast only 42 species are listed or proposed in the 13 Northeastern states of Region 5. This inequity would seem to illustrate that endangered species live only in the West, but we know this is not the case. Endangered species can be found wherever you choose to look.
Unequal enforcement means that only some people ever get to see how bad the law is.
We in the West have pleaded for years that ESA is broken - in terrible need of reform. Sadly, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The Wilson Bridge, however, hits close to home. I want to see the bridge built and have supported funding for it, but if the area is teeming with endangered species as it seems to be, the law should be enforced. With the NWI lawsuit, people in Washington will get a good dose of just how well the Endangered Species Act works - and understand exactly why it is a broken law in need of change.