Results
| Title |
Author |
Citation | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crying Wolf: The Unlawful Delisting of Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolves from Endangered Species Act Protections | Jesse H. Alderman | 50 B.C. L. Rev. 1195 (2009) |
Abstract: Although settlers hunted gray wolves to near extinction more than a century ago, the animal remains one of the most enduring symbols of the West. In 1994, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service authorized reintroduction of gray wolves into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming under recovery provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Fourteen years later, the Service delisted wolves in these states, contending that the reintroduced population met the numeric and distributional criteria established for recovery in 1994. Months after a district judge enjoined the Service's 2008 delisting rule, the Service again delisted gray wolves. This Note asserts that both the 2008 and 2009 delisting rules violate provisions of the Endangered Species Act guaranteeing adequacy of state regulatory mechanisms prior to delisting, and fidelity to the best available scientific data. The Note also contends that the Service unlawfully deployed conservation tools as delisting instruments contrary to congressional intent. Lastly, the Note illuminates administrative defects in the delisting rules, namely the Service's decision to disregard its own requirement of genetic linkage among the entire gray wolf population without providing a reasoned explanation. |
| U.S. IVORY TRADE: CAN A CRACKDOWN ON TRAFFICKING SAVE THE LAST TITAN? | Beth Allgood, Marina Ratchford, Peter LaFontaine | 20 Animal L. 27 (2013) | Rampant poaching has put African elephants on the verge of extinction in the wild, and the United States (U.S.) is complicit in this crisis. Despite the best efforts of federal agencies, porous national borders, legal loopholes, and deep-seated difficulties in law enforcement make the U.S. a major market for illicit ivory. While the White House, the United Nations, and the European Union, along with other voices, are sounding alarms, bold and concrete actions have been slow in coming. The U.S., in particular, is only beginning to acknowledge its own role in the slaughter, and still relies on a patchwork of inadequate laws and regulations to control its domestic ivory trade. The U.S. must quickly put a halt to its domestic ivory trade by adequately funding customs and wildlife inspectors and addressing the problem at every step along the chain of destruction—from the poachers and militants on the ground in Africa, to the international criminal syndicates underwriting the logistics of trafficking, to the consumers whose demand drives the crisis to ever-greater depths. This Article, analyzing never-before released data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, shines a light on the scope and scale of the underground trade in the U.S., unpacks the problems facing regulators and enforcement officials, and builds the case for a total ban on the commercial ivory trade, which threatens the existence of one of the planet’s greatest icons. |
| Overview of the Legal Battle Over the Vaquita | Alexis Andrews | Animal Legal & Historical Center | This overview explores the decline of the vaquita (phocoena sinus) population in the Sea of Cortez near Mexico. Vaquitas are the smallest cetacean species in the world with populations that have dwindled to near-extinction in the past twenty years. Vaquitas become entangled in gillnet fishing intended for totoaba fish, a commercially valuable species harvested for their swim bladders that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. While vaquitas receive protection under CITES, the MMPA, and gillnet bans, the lack of enforcement by the Mexican government has become an issue that resulted in several lawsuits by conservation organizations. With as few as ten vaquitas remaining in the wild, it is likely they will not be able to replace their population to outpace the deaths caused by illegal gillnet fishing. |
| Biological Overview of the Gray Wolf | Catherine J. Archibald | Animal Legal and Historical Center |
The gray wolf is an amazingly adaptable creature that can live in many different habitats. It is a social animal which often forms packs that stick together. |
| Brief Summary of the Recovery of the Gray Wolf Under the Endangered Species Act | Catherine J. Archibald | Animal Legal and Historical Center |
The gray wolf was almost extinct in the lower 48 states of the United States in the middle of the 1900s. Thanks to the help of the Endangered Species Act the gray wolf is well on its way to recovery. This summary discusses the |
| Overview of the Recovery of the Gray Wolf Under the Endangered Species Act | Catherine J. Archibald | Animal Legal and Historical Center |
The gray wolf was almost extinct in the lower 48 states of the United States by the mid 1900s. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, the gray wolf may be well on its way to recovery. Issues still remain as the wolf's successful repopulation may signal an end to its full protection under federal laws. |
| The Recovery of the Gray Wolf Under the Endangered Species Act | Catherine J. Archibald | Animal Legal and Historical Center |
The gray wolf was persecuted almost to extinction in the United States. Under the Endangered Species Act, the gray wolf has made a great recovery. Several legal issues are still unresolved however. |
| BETWEEN THE FLOOD AND THE RAINBOW: OUR COVENANT TO PROTECT THE WHOLE OF CREATION | Bruce Babbitt | 2 Animal L. 1 (1995) | As Congress weighs the interests of landowners against the environment, the future of the Endangered Species Act May be in peril. Secretary Babbitt discusses the success of our environmental laws and urges recognition of the moral, ethical, and religious values underlying the Endangered Species Act. These values manifest themselves in a wolfs green eyes, a sacred blue mountain, the words from Genesis, and the answers of children. These considerations should lead us to the conclusion that we are responsible for the whole of creation. |
| RECONCILING POLAR BEAR PROTECTION UNDER UNITED STATES LAWS AND THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSERVATION OF POLAR BEARS | Donald C. Baur | 2 Animal L. 9 (1996) | This article outlines the history of the international Polar Bear Agreement and the issues arising from its provisions. It also points out inconsistencies between the international agreement and U.S. laws, such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act, and offers suggestions to reconcile inconsistent provisions. |
| FROM THE HALLS OF CONGRESS TO THE SHORES OF THE LITTLE T: THE SNAIL DARTER AND THE DAM: HOW PORK-BARREL POLITICS ENDANGERED A LITTLE FISH AND KILLED A RIVER BY ZYGMUNT J. B. PLATER | Sarah Blankenship | 20 Animal L. 229 (2013) | The snail darter has become a symbol of environmental extremism. In reality, however, the farmers, members of the Cherokee Nation, and concerned citizens were simply fighting to keep the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)’s Tellico Dam from destroying the last free-flowing miles of the Little Tennessee River. This Book Review examines the work of Zygmunt J.B. Plater, the law professor who, along with ordinary citizens, fought their case all the way to the United States Supreme Court in defense of their river, the snail darter, and the Endangered Species Act. Plater reveals the truth behind the landmark TVA v. Hill case in The Snail Darter and the Dam: How Pork-Barrel Politics Endangered a Little Fish and Killed a River, by recounting the history of the region and evolution of the case. He also exposes the perverse pork-barrel politics behind the Tellico Dam, and reveals the power of media on the public’s perception of the snail darter case that resonates to this day. This Review highlights the most important aspects of Plater’s story, but it also examines the ways in which Plater and his team could have improved the public perception of the TVA v. Hill controversy. This Review urges everyone who wishes to enter the public sphere to have their voices heard to read The Snail Darter and the Dam for its inspirational and instructive importance. |