TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft a resolution that would support the Endangered Species Act as it currently stands, as the new bill comes to a vote in the United States Senate.
DISCUSSION
The Endangered Species Act has helped prevent the extinction of our nation's wildlife for over 30 years. Because of the Act, the Bald Eagle, the Florida Manatee and the California Condor are all thriving. Only nine of the 1,800 species currently protected by the Act have been declared extinct since the Act was signed into law in 1973, showing the successful commitment that our nation has had to preserve and protect our natural wildlife.
Recently, the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (H.R. 3824) was passed by the United States House of Representatives. If the bill was approved by the United States Senate, it would lead to more wildlife extinctions by eliminating habitat protections and weaken the role of science in development decisions. In addition, H.R. 3824 would remove pesticide restrictions, thus allowing pesticides to seep into our streams, saturate our groundwater, and
contaminate our land.
The City of Long Beach is a community that will be forever intertwined with the natural landscape. With the continued restoration of our Wetlands and the endangered species that inhabit our harbor, which include the Peregrine Falcons, California Brown Pelicans, California Least Terns and White Abalone, we cannot afford to jeopardize our natural wildlife.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve Recommendation.