We Are All Endangered Species

I bet you didn't know that today is the very first "Endangered Species Day" in this great country, did you? Yes, our Senate passed a resolution - S.Res 431 - declaring May 11 to be a celebration of America's commitment to wildlife protection. Now, if they can just commit to not totally eviscerating the Endangered Species Act when it comes up for the vote, we'll see them walk the walk.

Anyway, what better way to celebrate this new national day - no Hallmark cards yet - than writing to your Senators to entreat them to defeat Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's nomination to the post of Secretary of the Interior. Under the Secretary of recent memory, Gale Norton, the department more resembled a fire sale agency of the public’s resources than an agent for preserving and protecting them. Under Kempthorne business would most likely proceed in the same fashion. His environmental record stinks so far:

• The League of Conservation Voters recorded that he cast only 1 vote for the environment in the Senate.
• With Kempthorne at the helm, Idaho sued to block implementation of the 2001 Roadless Rule.
• Kempthorne twice voted to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Kempthorne sponsored a bill that would have drastically weakened protections for endangered species. (Info from Earthjustice.)

A guy who has spent his political career favoring industry and commercial interests above the interests of the American people and their public lands and resources is not likely to engineer a turnaround of the Interior Department. There's an awful lot at stake here, folks, so let your Senators know that you are paying attention to this issue. Earthjustice has a campaign with an easy letter form you can send online, simply by filling in your information. Take a few minutes and make the President see if he can't find someone who actually wants to act as steward for our parks, forests, wildlands, than helpmeet to the commercial exploiters.

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