Jewish Perspectives on Creatures
Jewish Council on Public Affairs Statement on Protecting Endangered Species cont.

Therefore, the NJCRAC affirms the protection of species and their habitats as a basic goal of public policy and advocates the following improvements and amendments to the Endangered Species Act to ensure our nation's success in achieving this goal:

1) Species protection should be based on sound science:

The Act should require that the federal government conduct a national biological survey, including marine species, and conservation biology research sufficient to make timely decisions on the listing of species as threatened and endangered. Furthermore, Congress should amend the Endangered Species Act to prohibit the federal government from granting permits ("incidental take permits") to destroy habitat that is scientifically demonstrated by peer review to be essential to the recovery of endangered species.

2) The government should work proactively to prevent dangerous declines in species populations rather than waiting until species are endangered:

The Act should work proactively by requiring the timely creation and implementation of recovery plans for all endangered and threatened species that would protect and restore sufficient habitat to secure viable populations of declining species throughout their ranges. Furthermore, the Act should require that the federal government develop a national plan for the establishment of a system of natural preserves on land, in fresh water, and in the sea, to protect endangered ecosystems and the species which depend upon them.

3) The Act should strengthen protections for habitat on private lands through positive incentives:

Critical to the protection and restoration of many endangered populations is the protection of their habitat on private lands. The NJCRAC calls on individual and corporate owners of endangered species habitat to cooperate with state and federal agencies to effectively protect and recover endangered species. Furthermore, the NJCRAC calls on the Administration and Congress to devise, fully fund, and aggressively publicize positive incentives to encourage private property owners to protect and recover endangered and threatened species and the habitat upon which they depend.

The NJCRAC urges the Congress and Administration to work diligently to reauthorize an amended Endangered Species Act and create secure funding mechanisms sufficient to fulfill our mandate as a nation to protect and preserve our biological inheritance for its own sake and for the sake of generations to come.