OPINION: Protecting wildlife is moral, civic duty

Protecting wildlife is our moral and civic duty. For over 50 years, we’ve successfully upheld that duty and safeguarded wildlife through the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This law has preserved this country’s and this continent’s wildlife and habitats for decades and has been continually backed by bipartisan support. But the very wildlife that communities, scientists and legislators have fought so hard to protect is now under threat from our own lawmakers.

Congress is poised to gut the ESA, one of our most powerful ecological protection legal tools. The proposed ESA Amendments Act of 2025, authored by Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., would more aptly be called the Extinction Act, as it could mean a death sentence for countless species teetering on the edge of extinction — including those in our own backyard.

This legislation would strip critical protections for endangered species, slow the process of listing imperiled ones, and unravel decades of progress in preserving our country’s natural beauty. Critical habitats that imperiled wildlife rely on would be destroyed and special interests at the state and local level would be allowed to cherry pick what counts as the “best” available science — weakening safeguards and increasing the risks of extinction.

Senate Democrats, including our own from New Mexico, should know that their constituents treasure New Mexico’s wildlife and that this destructive bill seeks to use the ESA as a bargaining chip to further other priorities.

Undermining the ESA would have dire consequences, and not only be a slap in the face to New Mexicans but all Americans on both sides of the aisle. Nationwide polling commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife this year revealed 95% of voters support the ESA.

Unfortunately, misguided opponents continue to spread misinformation around the implications of this bill and the efficacy of the ESA. But the facts don’t lie: The ESA works. It is 99% effective — nearly all species listed as endangered species have been saved from extinction and hundreds are on the path to recovery today.

There are 64 species of plants and animals in New Mexico listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA — including the Mexican gray wolf. While this species remains endangered, with population virtually wiped out by the 1970s, their numbers have grown slowly thanks to conservation efforts guided by the ESA. The Valles Caldera National Preserve, where many New Mexicans and I fish, hike, camp and enjoy hot springs, provide a vibrant home for Mexican gray wolves and other beloved species, like elk.

The ESA’s impact is felt beyond our New Mexican borders too. Thanks to the ESA, the bald eagle — an American symbol of freedom — remains a thriving species today. We worked together, across the aisle, to save this national icon. In the 1950s, there were only an estimated 50 American alligators left in North America. Today, there are now an estimated five million. The ESA also saved beloved animals like sea turtles and humpback whales from the brink of extinction. But the Extinction Act promises the opposite for animals still at risk.

We cannot claim to cherish New Mexico’s natural beauty while dismantling the very laws that protect it. The ESA is a lifeline for many endangered species, but putting profits over preservation will lead to mass extinction in our state and across the country.

Congress must reject the ESA Amendments Act. If we allow this dangerous bill to pass, we risk losing not only our endangered species but also our reputation as responsible stewards of the environment. The time to speak out is now — before silence becomes the only sound left in our wilderness.