07.19.17

Video Highlights of Today’s Jeff Corwin Testimony on Preserving the Endangered Species Act, Rejecting Republican Attacks

Washington, D.C. – Well-known wildlife biologist and television host Jeff Corwin testified at today’s Natural Resources Committee hearing that despite frequently repeated Republican talking points, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been a tremendous success since its inception and has led to the recovery of iconic species – including the bald eagle – that would be extinct today if the law had been weakened or abandoned in the past.

Corwin pointed out in testimony that the rebounding health of wolf populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has brought “a tremendous sense of balance,” leading to the return of beaver and other populations that together have reconstructed what was once a struggling ecosystem characterized by unnatural waterway conditions and a loss of species diversity.

“We have such a splendid tableau of valuable species and landscapes, and it can only stay through wise, pragmatic, common-sense management, and I believe the ESA is a big partner in that,” Corwin testified.

Republican panel members spoke in favor of a number of measures to weaken the ESA or exempt certain activities from its standards.

Video highlights of Corwin’s testimony are available at http://bit.ly/2ubiqEf.

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