Ep. 5: Endangered Definitions (The ESA)

Humpback whales. California condors. Island foxes. What do these species have in common? In addition to a shared characteristic of general awesomeness, these special creatures also escaped very near extinctions thanks to protections from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A core environmental law in the U.S., the ESA represents one of the best tools we have for safeguarding wildlife and critical habitat. Yet, as you may have heard back in May, aspects of this important law are being targeted by the current administration. Federal agencies (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration) recently issued a proposed rule to change a key component of the ESA's functions: its definition of harm.Folks across the conservation sector are examining what this could mean for wildlife and regulations, so to give some context, today’s episode discusses the history of the law, its current definitions, and what exactly this proposed rule is trying to alter. WELC Wildlands and Wildlife Staff Attorney Karli Uwaine, who worked on WELC’s public comments in response to this proposed rule, provides in-depth background for why the ESA's specific definitions matter and how to take action in the waiting period before official rule updates.BTW, if you’re liking what we’ve put together so far on Stories of Kinship, please do share it with a climate pal or fellow wildlife nerd in your life! Every listen and comment on these early episodes helps us figure out whether to keep up this lil audio experiment and what topics to explore in the future. Lastly and most importantly, thank you for your dedicated support to our work here at the Western Environmental Law Center. It’s an insane time to be in environmental work (or just to be alive, for that matter), but our team is staying strong together in HUGE part because we get to be in this fight with you all.P.S. To hear updates on new episodes and what we’re up to, be sure and subscribe here, join our email list at westernlaw.org and follow us on socials (FB, IG, Bluesky). See ya next time! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storiesofkinship.substack.com