Saving species, ruffling some feathers

But the ESA's defenders argue that the rate of decline and extinction would have been much worse without the law protecting listed species from harm and requiring recovery plans. They note that about half of listed plant and animal species are making a comeback because of recovery efforts, including habitat restoration.

Ten years ago, there were no free-flying California condors; today, thanks to a captive breeding program, 44 of the majestic birds soar over Arizona and California and more are being bred for release. The whooping crane, whose numbers had dwindled to fewer than 20, now numbers 200 in the wild with 200 more in captive breeding populations. Wolves reintroduced to their native habitat in Yellowstone National Park have formed into packs and begun producing offspring.

And while the Endangered Species Act appears not to provide the direct benefits to humans that clean-water and clean-air legislation does, that perception is changing.

"Forty percent of all medicines are derived from sources in the wild, our food crops depend on wild plants to maintain their heartiness and variety, and of course imperiled wildlife are our canary in the coal mine, telling us that something is wrong with our world," says Mark Van Putten, president of the National Wildlife Federation.

Until recently, most major species-protection efforts have impacted rural areas or park lands. These include the notorious northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest, gray wolves in Yellowstone, and the American alligator in Florida. These moves restricted the activities of some farmers, ranchers, loggers, and developers.

Within the next few months, however, a major metropolitan area could feel a direct impact as well. The federal government is expected to list several runs of wild chinook salmon, a species headed toward extinction whose traditional spawning habitat covers much of the Puget Sound area around Seattle.

Meanwhile, a new generation of "conservation biologists" and other scientists - prompted by the Endangered Species Act - is learning more and more about the importance of "biodiversity" in preserving natural balance. In the process, they are realizing how much they don't know about the numbers and kinds of species that exist and which ones may be the "keystone" species whose loss could precipitate the kind of "extinction spasm" seen in previous millennia.

"The basic message of the Endangered Species Act is something everybody understands: extinction is forever," says Interior Secretary Babbitt. "Once a species and its habitat are lost, they can't be brought back. The Endangered Species Act gives us one last chance to ... save some important living part of America for the future."

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