The ESA at 50: Successes, Shortcomings, and a Discussion of What’s Next

When
October 26, 2023 1:00 pm — 2:30 pm
Where
Webinar Only

An ELI Public Webinar

December 28th will mark 50 years since the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law. The statute protects and recovers imperiled species deemed either “endangered” or “threatened” and the ecosystems on which they depend. Over the years, the ESA has proven resilient to numerous legal challenges and has saved many species from extinction. But its overall success has been debated, as the list of endangered and threatened species continues to grow, while only 54 species have been recovered and taken off of the list completely.

Join the Environmental Law Institute and expert panelists—including some contributors to the recent Debate published in The Environmental Forum about the ESA’s effectiveness—to explore the successes and shortcomings of the statute. Panelists will also turn to the future of the ESA and discuss what might happen next as climate change increases the risk of extinction. How well has the ESA been working? How might it work better, and what can agencies do to increase its effectiveness? What potential regulatory updates are on the horizon? We will discuss these questions and many more.

Panelists:
Sharmeen Morrison
, Senior Associate Attorney, Biodiversity Defense Program, Earthjustice, Moderator
Derb Carter, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
J.B. Ruhl, Co-Director, Energy, Environment, and Land Use Program, Vanderbilt Law School
Sean Skaggs, Partner, Ebbin Moser + Skaggs LLP
William Snape, III, Assistant Dean of Adjunct Faculty Affairs, American University Washington College of Law

Materials:
ELI members will have subsequent access to any materials/a recording of this session (usually posted within three business days). If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, see the many benefits of membership and how to join.