For more than thirty years, the Endangered Species Act has helped save wildlife, fish, and plants from the brink of extinction. 99% of all the species listed under the Act are still with us today, and hundreds of species would likely have gone extinct without its protection.

Now, long-time Endangered Species Act opponent Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Ca.) plans to gut and then repeal this cornerstone conservation law. Rep. Pombo's proposed bill would repeal the Endangered Species Act in 2015, and in the meantime drastically weaken the Act. Had Pombo's bill been made law in 1973 instead of the Endangered Species Act, there would be no bald eagles, wolves, grizzly bears, Florida panthers, or desert pupfish in the continental U.S. today. If it is made law in the future, hundreds of endangered species could become extinct.

Rep. Pombo is expected to introduce his bill either in July before Congress leaves for its August recess, or when Congress returns in September.