Dear John,
This is a critical moment for the animals and plants of the redwood forest.
The Department of Interior has proposed a change to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that would gut protections for threatened wildlife and deal a harsh blow to redwood conservation.
Since 1973, the ESA has stood as one of America's most successful conservation laws, preventing the extinction of 99% of the species under its protection—from California condors to gray wolves to humpback whales. Now federal officials have proposed altering the ESA’s long-understood definition of the word “harm” to no longer include habitat destruction.
The recognition that habitat loss can harm a species just as much as direct injury is a crucial component of the ESA’s success. Unraveling this key protection strikes at the heart of wildlife conservation and the mission of Save the Redwoods League.
But you can help us oppose this dangerous change.
The newly proposed rule, called “Rescinding the Definition of ‘Harm’ Under the Endangered Species Act,” is subject to a public comment period through May 19, 2025. We urge you to speak up in defense of the ESA now and submit your public comment ([link removed]).
In California’s redwood forests, removing habitat protections would have grave consequences. While the trees themselves are not listed under the ESA, redwood ecosystems are lifelines for a range of federally protected species. Cool, shaded streams sustain imperiled coho salmon and steelhead. Towering canopies shelter the endangered marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl. Damp forest floors host rare amphibians and plants found nowhere else on Earth.
Rescinding the definition of harm opens these redwood ecosystems to threats from mining, drilling, and industrial timber extraction. Without healthy and intact forests and waterways, the endangered species that depend on redwood forests simply will not survive.
Threatened animals and plants need strong protection now more than ever. Join us in defending the Endangered Species Act—submit your public comment by the May 19 deadline.
[Comment Now]
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Thank you,
Save the Redwoods League
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Save the Redwoods League
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