Lawyers See Qualified Success as Endangered Species Act Turns 50

The Endangered Species Act, which turned 50 years old this week, has left a mixed legacy while fulfilling its mission as an “ambulance statute” for plants and animals on the brink of extinction, environmental attorneys say.

Since it became law on Dec. 28, 1973, the ESA has helped to recover some iconic species imperiled by pesticides, development, and pollution, such as the bald eagle. Today, 1,668 species of plants and animals in the US are listed as endangered or threatened in addition to 698 foreign species. About 99% of all listed species have avoided extinction.

The act ...