The Endangered Species Act: An Introduction and Explanation

What is endangered? How do you get on the list? Have you watched Sex and the City?

Endangered Species Act - House:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/house-bill/37 

Endangered Species Act - Senate: https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/senate-bill/1983/all-actions?s=6&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22endangered+Species+Act%22%7D 

Rep. John Dingell Retirement: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/nrdcs-president-dingell-giant-who-safeguarded-our-environment-and-health 

Evolution to ESA: https://www.fws.gov/esa50/our-history/pre-1973 

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ESA-Section-4-Listing.pdf 

ESA designation definitions: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-differences-between-endangered-threatened-imperiled-and-risk-species#:~:text=Under%20the%20Endangered%20Species%20Act,endangered%20within%20the%20foreseeable%20future. 

Puetro RicanSharp Shinned Hawk: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/lifehistory

5-year status review Puerto Rican Sharp Shinned Hawk: 

https://ecosphere-documents-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com/sams/public_docs/species_nonpublish/5787.pdf 

Rusty Patch Bumble Bee on Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/25/2024-01454/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-90-day-findings-for-10-species  

Minnesota and the Rusty Patch Bumble Bee: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/l2l 

ESA Loophole: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1320&context=jesl 

Definition of Habitat: https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2022-06/rescind-regulatory-definition-habitat-under-endangered-species-act 

Changes to Endangered Speices Act: https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/state/washington/article305258441.html

Federal Register: 

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/17/2025-06746/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act 

Grizzly Bear: https://www.fws.gov/species/grizzly-bear-ursus-arctos-horribilis

Grizzly Court Ruling: https://earthjustice.org/press/2009/protections-restored-for-yellowstone-grizzly-bears 

Endangered Grizzly: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/grizzly_bear/# 

Gray Wolf ESA Listing: https://wolf.org/wolf-info/51811-2/ 

Gray Wolf: https://www.fws.gov/species/gray-wolf-canis-lupus 

Bringing back the Wolly Mammouth: https://colossal.com/mammoth/ 

Passenger Pigeon: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/passenger-pigeon 

Black-browned babbler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-browed_babbler 

Not extinct stick insect: https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/lord-howe-island-stick-insect/

https://earthjustice.org/article/how-trump-and-congress-are-trying-to-gut-the-endangered-species-act-and-what-you-can-do-about-it 

Looking into Colorado's effort to limit the use of neonicotinoids (or neonics) on commodity cropland farms, where they happen to be very popular. Who will think of the bees!?

Policy on the Prowl: SB26-065

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References:

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb26-065 

https://ag.colorado.gov/pesticide-safety 

https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/r23-286_agricultural_economy_in_colorado_0.pdf 

https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/benefits-neonicotinoid-seed-treatments-soybean-production 

https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pesticides-are-transported-throughout-environment 

https://soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu/soybean-insect-pest-management/ 

https://www.farmprogress.com/soybean/stinkbugs-top-nationwide-soybean-pest-damage-list-causing-estimated-126-million-bushel-loss-in-2024 

https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2015/08/24/entomologists-sniff-out-new-stink-bug-to-help-soybean-farmers-control-damage/ 

Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Colorado Water: Threats to the State’s Aquatic Ecosystems, Pierre Menau, Ph.D., July 2025

Bigger than Bees: How Neonics Contaminate Water, Threaten Ecosystems, and Cause Human Health Concerns in New York 

First national-scale reconnaissance of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams across the USA, Michelle Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, 2015

American Bird Conservancy, “Birds & Neonic-Coated Seeds”. 2022

American Bird Conservancy, “Birds & Neonic-Coated Seeds: The Hidden Costs of High-Risk Pesticides, 2024

https://wms.org/magazine/magazine/1614/Seeds-of-Destruction/default.aspx 

https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2026-03-04/effort-to-restrict-colorado-farmers-use-of-seeds-coated-with-pesticides-rejected-in-committee 

https://leg.colorado.gov/committee_meeting_hearing_items/29477/votes/42452 

https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/state-legislation

Part 3 in the 3 part series of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

In this episode, I’ll provide a review of the programs listed under the Land and Water Conservation Fund and discuss some of the limitations before sharing some complicated predictions for the future.

Spoiler: If the future seems bright, you're the deer in the headlights.

Report: Tribal Access to the Land and Water Conservation Fund: https://www.wilderness.org/sites/default/files/media/file/Tribal%20Access%20to%20the%20LWCF.pdf 

Outer Continental Shelf definition: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title43-section1331&num=0&edition=prelim 

Biden banning offshore oil and gas: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/06/biden-offshore-drilling-ban-oil-gas/

Mineral Leasing Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGUBxgz_6Ak 

LWCF Manual: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/lwcf/lwcf-manual.htm 

Federal, State, Tribe Government Relations: https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/separation-of-powers-state-tribal-relations-and-interstate-compacts 

LWCF recommendations from Tribes: https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/needed-federal-conservation-program-designed-tribes

Drilling into the details to explain the framework of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Sources:

P.L. 116-152

https://www.nrpa.org/our-work/advocacy/the-land-and-water-conservation-fund-lwcf/applying-for-lwcf-grants/ 

https://bhamnow.com/2018/02/17/154570/  - Alabama project 

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/blag_ms_04_2019.htm - Mississippi project

https://www.blm.gov/visit/california-national-historic-trail-nobles-emigrant-segment - California Project 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/sustain/forest-legacy-program-protects-western-maine-lands - Maine Project 

https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/policy/files/ConservationEasementHandbook.pdf 

https://www.neefusa.org/story/public-lands-engagement/key-roles-americas-federal-public-land-agencies 

https://www.doi.gov/lwcf/lwcf-programs 

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/john-heinz-tinicum/what-we-do 

https://www.blm.gov/programs/land-and-water-conservation-fund 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/land/staff/LWCF/about.shtml 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/home/?cid=fseprd853127

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-and-agriculture-departments-invest-28-billion-protect-public-lands-support - Direct Tribal Access to LWCF

Happy World Environment Day!

In this cross-pollinating episode featuring "Wild Thoughts" and returning co-host Julian Nesbitt, Tykee discusses the Recovering America's Wildlife Act with special guests from the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society. The episode features education coordinator Ashley Mueller and Executive Director Julie Thorstenson. Together, they explore their careers in conservation, human-wildlife conflict, and also engage in some creative thinking about animal trait-based resumes.

https://nafws.org/initiatives/recovering-americas-wildlife-act/

(Originally published April 2022)

Please excuse the weird echo in the beginning of the episode! Hopefully the background music makes it sounds smooth.

(Originally published March 2022)

Please excuse the weird echo in the beginning of the episode! Hopefully the background music makes it sounds smooth.Always Be Birdin' Podcast: https://always-be-birdin.simplecast.com/

(Originally published Dec 2021)

Wildlife conservation advocate Rosie Sanchez shares how she found herself in the work, her recent accomplishments, and her vision for achieving balance for humans and wildlife!

(Originally published Sept 2021)

Joined by NEW Co-Host Julian Nesbitt, the pair discuss curious mountain lions in California, hungry wolves in Yellowstone, and migrating elephants in Tanzania.

Sources:
⁠https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/cms/lib/IN01001867/Centricity/Domain/237/scienceA.pdf⁠
⁠https://futurehuman.medium.com/russian-scientists-are-trying-to-revive-wooly-mammoths-to-halt-siberias-warming-crisis-e1bd4fd3f6bb