The Endangered Species Act (ESA) and U.S. public lands — 635 million acres of land held in trust for the American people by the federal government — are critically important and intertwined elements of successful bird conservation in the United States.

• The ESA has helped to bring back iconic species such as the Bald Eagle, California Condor and Whooping Crane, all of which were headed toward extinction when they were listed under the Act. The ESA continues to play a critical role guiding the recovery of listed species and determining if there is scientific support to support protection of newly imperiled bird populations.
• Public lands — including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests —  provide critical habitat for over 1,000 bird species. They also generate billions of dollars in wildlife watching revenues each year and perform essential services such as providing clean drinking water, flood control, and storing carbon.

The ESA and public lands are linked in important ways: Federal land managers are entrusted with the majority of habitat for a number of endangered species including the Greater Sage-Grouse. Other birds that rely primarily on federal lands are the western population of Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Marbled Murrelet and Northern Spotted Owl of the Pacific Northwest.

At ABC, we advocate for the best use of the ESA and the conservation and restoration of our public lands for these and other imperiled bird species.