Tell Congress to Pass the Extinction Prevention Act

The planet’s wildlife is disappearing. Some species have fewer than 100 individuals left — and Congress has a chance to help save them before they're gone forever.

Some of America’s most unique and ecologically important species are on the brink of extinction: the Miami blue butterfly, Mount Charleston blue butterfly, and Lange’s metalmark — each with fewer than 100 individuals left in the world — along with rare desert fish found nowhere else on Earth, freshwater mussels disappearing from rivers across the South, and Hawaiian plants surviving only on remote cliffs beyond the reach of invasive species and human development.

Without urgent action, they could disappear forever.

That’s why Congress must pass the Extinction Prevention Act. This lifesaving bill would fund emergency conservation efforts for four groups of critically endangered species: North American butterflies, southeastern freshwater mussels, southwestern desert fish, and Hawaiian plants. Each fund would provide $5 million annually for projects like habitat restoration, captive breeding, invasive species removal, and scientific research aimed at stopping extinction before it’s too late.

The situation is staggering. Scientists warn that Earth is now facing a global biodiversity emergency, with species disappearing at rates hundreds of times higher than natural extinction levels. Habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and invasive species are pushing countless animals and plants toward extinction — many before the public even knows they exist.

Freshwater mussels are now the most endangered group of animals in the United States, with roughly 70 percent at risk of extinction. More than 45 species of Southwestern desert fish are endangered or threatened after decades of habitat destruction and invasive species introductions.

And Hawaii — the extinction capital of the United States — is home to more than 400 endangered native plants. Some have fewer than 50 individuals left in the wild.

Meanwhile, iconic butterflies like the Miami blue and Mount Charleston blue are hanging on by a thread.

Scientists know how to help save these species. But conservation programs are chronically underfunded, and many species are running out of time.

Extinction is forever. Once these animals and plants disappear, we can never bring them back.

Congress cannot keep standing by while America’s wildlife vanishes.

Sign the petition demanding Congress pass the Extinction Prevention Act and give endangered species a fighting chance before it’s too late.

Add your name to demand Congress protect endangered butterflies, fish, freshwater mussels, and native plants before they disappear forever. The Extinction Prevention Act would give conservationists the resources they need to pull species back from the brink and preserve America’s extraordinary wildlife for future generations. Congress must act now before more species are lost forever.