The future of the US endangered species act.
The United States Endangered Species Act of J973 (ESA) is the strongest tool for protecting plants and animals in the US and has served as a model of species protection for many other nations. Because the goals of the Act - to conserve all endangered and threatened species in the US and the ecosystems upon which they depend - are widely supported among US environmentalists and biologists, it is commonly believed that these groups offer united support for the legislation. Within the US, however, vigorous debate ensues among conservation biologists as to the effectiveness of the species-oriented approach of the Act.