congress. [inaudible conversations] >> "wa"

continues. host: we welcome robert dewey who is government relations vice president for the >> welcome to "washington journal" government relations vice president for defenders of wildlife. today is endangered speciesll day we will talk about federal endangered species protections. tell us about yourr organization what is your mission? >> the mission is to protect native animals and plants in their natural communities two.2 million members and supporters around the

country. >> individual donors that are part defenders of wildlife?e? >> members and supporters many are members and and activist and supporters and people who care about wildlife and protecting the places they call home. >> how much is keeping track of endangered and threatened species a part of your work? >> it's a core part of the mission nothing more important than helping the species that's what we do and with biodiversity but particularly those most at risk of extinction. >> i thought we would start with some terms and numbers according to fish and wildlife service the number currently animals and plants that are in danger or threat and endangered animals 237 threatened. 767 endangered plants in the us and 174 threat and so what

is the difference between a species of an animal or plant being threatened or endangered quick. >> the immediate foreseeable of the species to become endangered here and now it is endangered if the threat is manifest if it is foreseeable they will be endangered in the foreseeable future it would be listed as a threat that is the primary separation between the two. >> thatt total is a little over 1700 i said here in the united states but is there a much bigger number worldwide? >> there are more worldwide for sure. that is those focused on the us. >> what is the fundamental protections for species either endangered or threatened?

>> what you get if you are protected? one of the most important things is a recovery plan. if the government identifies a species there is a recovery plan that has been developed to help aid where it no longer needs federalal protections and a review by federal agencies particularly fish and wildlife with actions and consulting with them to figure out the effects and depending if the species is endangered or threatened but fundamentally whether prohibitions are implemented and you think it could be harming and other ways so species are protected because not only if the

species is killed or harmed bye habitat loss is the essential factor as well you cannot exist without habitat. >> talking about a political conversation of ron desantis and the loss of habitat near where she was in punta gorda and the loss of species or their state laws across the country which protects species in addition quick. >> many have state endangered species act and vary widely california and i believe wyoming is a state that does not have the endangered species act were fundamental differences federal law and federal endangered species act and is really the lifeline for

species but the challenge was state and they could do a lot more and should to protect imperiled species but the level of protection afforded under state law typically not nearly as significant as federal law. >> with defenders of wildlife endangered species day is there a government relations vice president we are interested in hearing your thoughts and comments. you are here with us on endangered species day but what is the broader mission and message of the related organizations on this day? being. >> every day is endangered species day but you are right today it is endangered species

act and so we are celebrating incredible success of the highly effective law to prevent the extinction of species and recovering and we are feeling celebratory. on the other hand we are alarmed as well. biologically going through biodiversity and extinction crisis. more and more species worldwide are at risk of extinction comprehensive to identify 1 million species. and we know things are not all that great in the us as well. host: who among the groups that defenders but there is a lot to keep track of so what do rely on for data?

a lot of different metrics and measurements.nt and recently concluded those birds that have been lost in u.s. census seventies that is alarming and those in need of the danger species act that is another metric and the federal government is developing the first ever national nature assessment to provide more detailed version of exactly the status of wildlife natural resources in the country and then causing the loss of species and biodiversity. >> and those in the plant world how much is invasive

species a problem for the habitat of animals and other plants quick. >> of course it could be reptiles as pythons in the everglades, plant species out competing native ones and they are a huge problem. in fact the comprehensive study of biodiversity and extinction worldwide invasive species was ranked one of the five drivers of the biodiversity and extinction crisis. it is a huge problem. even muscles in the great lakes so there is a lot of examples we know invasive species are fundamental threat to biodiversity. host: reporting on birds worldwide with a volunteer organization how can

individuals or people who are hikers or people who fish or hunters, how can a best be engaged on the issue of endangered species? >> federal policy focused and and you get out there and watch birds and hike and follow congress closely from congress and the political threat to endangered species are profound i would urge people who care about nature like to get outside not only watch the birds and look for the animals as they should but ask themselves to figure out what members of congress are doing and those that support endangered species. host: we have several calls

for you first from georgia good morning. >>caller: good morning. can economic development and business coexist successfully with endangered species act quick. >> yes. they can. healthy ecosystems and healthy biodiversity is fundamental and according to the world economic forum biodiversity lot ecosystem degradation is one of the top five threats to the global economy they had identified they do an annual review is not the first year of 2023 is a finding of the organization but over the last several years we have seen consistently that nature at risk is a help risk to the healthy economy. >> liverpool new york go ahead.

>>caller: my question is recently all of the whales washing up on shore in new jersey 36 so far this year i am not exact but i am just wondering if the defenders of wildlife are investigating this and if these windfall on —- the windfarms offshore are causing the whales to be disoriented or swim to shore it seems like it's starting to be a serious problem. >> i have not followed that particular issue closely but there are profound death to whales along the atlantic sure. particularly the north atlantic white whale is under critical pressure populations are down with 340 individuals

on the brink of extinction including entanglements from fishing lines and also vessel strikes i don't know in the specific case it is terrible and heartbreaking to hear of a loss of that number of whales along the new jersey coastline. >> talk about the audubon report since 1970 what about the areas that are fished for american consumption along the continental shelf and what do they say quick. >> i must say that apart from marine mammals and orchids which have been a primary focus and has not been are focus so much but it has gone

up and down. >> you alluded to this a moment ago a headline of one of the stories says that the senate votes to limit critical habitat and then drop the protection the senate voted narrowly last week to overturn two biden administration policies to protect endangered species. what was behind that? >> we are dumbfounded by the votes. the one hand we know the american public strongly supports the endangered species act we seen the polling time and time again and we also know that science -based decision-making by the agencies in a number of these cases. so specifically what we saw in the case of the northern long ears bat and is down

99 percent of the population last 20 years and in the case of the habitat rule that you identify it is the case of the biden administration restoring long-standing habitat protections for endangered species. and then those actions to protect the northern long eared back as a species and restore protections or habitat that has long been. >> and why is that species important in the ecosystem quick. >> that is critically important many of the listeners may not know this but to provide services and there are estimates $3 billion are saved by bats of

agricultural production otherwise crops would be lost or farmers need to apply more pesticides with a critical role in the ecosystem so the country needs bats in the northern long eared bat that they are in critical decline. >> . >> i would like to point out the loss of biodiversity is not only a global economic threat but a public health threat there is a nexus between climate change the loss of biodiversity as well as the precipitous rise in the frequency of pandemic since 1981 it is not an accident

having so many infectious disease outbreaks and it is related to the loss of biodiversity and it is understated risk. and pathogens jump from one species to another. and this increases the risk of infectious disease. and then that's not such an understated statement. >> that is absolutely true. there's a good reason to believe the cause of the covid outbreak could have been a transmission from animal to people of the disease.

and then world wildlife worldwide putting people and animals and greater proximity. with the transmission of diseases. i should point out in addition and then with those essential services and the air we breathe and the water we drink and then with the reference at the color may but also point out there are ecological services of the healthy ecosystem for people as well. host: mike from country club hills illinois. >>caller: i have a question. a sissy of multicolored butterfly now i wonder are they becoming extinct?

>> the butterfly populations have declined the monarch butterfly their population in the east and west have declined significantly. actually it is being considered listing endangered species act. back to the relationship between people and wildlife and that they provide critical ecological services and butterflies of pollination and a huge value to food production and then to love butterflies and that is essential for people as well. >> when a species is threatened or exchanges the general reason the loss of habitat? >> yes.

but biodiversity decline in modifications probably the strongest and biggest single factor as you would imagine and climate change, pollution overexploitation of wildlife those are all factors as well as invasive species there are really five factors and five main drivers of biodiversity that's too the biggest that i have seen. >> using a number of success stories those that are getting off the endangered or threatened each year what are the biggest examples? >> this is part of the celebration we have today despite the dangers politically to the endangered species act i would cite making an incredible come back and have been delisted by the federal government.

the california condors i have had the privilege of seeing one fly in utah in the wild. other examples include the fox squirrel, a huge very tall squirrel once listed on the endangered species act but then was removed but then also the peregrine falcon well over 100 species either no longer need the protections of the endangered species act and fully recovered or downgraded so they were endangered but now just threatened. there are many successes to be thankful for. >> interesting i was just at the harpers ferry there is protected areas for the peregrine falcon nesting on —- nest because it is nesting

season. up in montana good morning. >>caller: good morning. i am calling with grizzly bears and wolves appear in northwest montana where you can see a little bit of a difference. as we have more interface between humans and animals they will have conflict in usually humans win. but the wolf, the gray wolf i know there are timberwolves but the grizzly bear has made a comeback and they are trying to then down the numbers. so what is your feelings of us moving forward with that? inky for your time. >> grizzly bears have made some progress but it may require further analysis if

they should or should not be removed from the endangered species list that has been quite controversial in congress. our concern is that there is legislation afoot to mandate the removal of grizzly bears and also to prevent the courts from reviewing decisions to remove the species much as flies in the face of sound science of agency and deliberative decision-making. we welcome plans to undertake a review of the status of grizzly bears. that may result in the head being removed from endangered species act but i would not do so prematurely. my understanding is montana is one of the states that is looking to liberalize the hunting policies to the

grizzly bear and that's one of the factors the federal government looks set to make decisions whether it makes sense to remove the species from federal protection if there is a risk if a statement implement policies to ultimately cause that species to be back on the endangered species list. host: he also mentioned the gray wolf in the reintroduction was in yellowstone in montana and the national park and lake superior. that doesn't come without political pushback from residents nearby or hunters and other people as well. >> there are some cases of controversy over wolves for sure and offenders do a lot of work of coexistence to reconcile conflicts in the instances where to be on

particular farms or ranchers they work with farmers and ranchers. we promote a technique to scare off walls through noise and sound and visual aspects as well to minimize them. i don't think there are excessive conflicts were just worried about the policies in montana with its policy and respect to wolves. host: calling from michigan go ahead. >>caller: good morning gentlemen. thank you for taking my call. i live in northeast michigan and we are unique to the snowshoe hare. if the folks are not