Local Stakeholders Unite to Protect Endangered Species

Photo by Cosey Carlisle @co.c.photography

Washington Wild and the Sierra Club coordinated a letter signed by 23 elected officials, small businesses, community organizations, and local stakeholders from southwest Washington opposing H.R. 1897, the “ESA Amendments Act of 2025.”

The letter was addressed to U.S. Representative Maria Gluesenkamp Perez who represents the 3rd congressional district of southwest Washington. The letter highlights diverse support from local voices including nine local elected officials ranging from the Chair of the Clark County Council to mayors or city council members from the cities of Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Centralia and Chehalis. Eight signers represented a mix of hunting and fishing, conservation, recreation and land trust organizations, as well as six local business owners.

Threats to the Endangered Species Act

The ESA Amendments Act (H.R. 1897) is expected to be considered on the House floor in the coming weeks. This bill would gut the critical protections the Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides for thousands of threatened and endangered species.

The ESA is a highly successful law that has prevented nearly all listed species from extinction, conserving our ecosystem while supporting our local economies. The ESA has protected species of salmon and steelhead that support our fishing industry in the Pacific Northwest, and the bald eagle that draws tourism to the region.

H.R. 1897 would drastically weaken endangered species protections by making it more difficult to list species that are declining while making it easier to remove species showing minimal signs of recovery. It would also allow for more “incidental taking” or killing of listed threatened species. This bill would also try to shift management to states who are not prepared for or charged with endangered species management.