The Endangered Species Act, by the numbers

“The Endangered Species Act by the numbers” was originally published Dec. 1, 2023, at High Country News. It may not be republished without the express permission of High Country News. In the half-century since Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, more than 1,600 species have been protected, and dozens have been saved from likely extinction. Nevertheless, the landmark environmental law has been consistently underfunded by lawmakers and attacked by industry. Here’s the ESA by the numbers, plus a sampling of some of the less iconic critters it has protected over the years. 291