09/08/2025
From the DVOC Conservation Committee:
There are several bills and amendments that are proposed in coming weeks that seek to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
First up is the NDAA (the National Defense Authorization Act) which will be voted on as early as today, Tuesday, September 9. Therefore, your letters need to go out today! And it won’t take you much time—see below!
Andy Biggs from Arizona will propose an amendment to make military sites exempt from the ESA. (You can read more about what this amendment would do in the attached letter).
Action:
1. Please type in your Representative's name at the top, where it says NAME.
2. Please type in your state and district number in the spot where it says STATE & NUMBER.
3. Please sign your name and put your home city at the bottom
4. Bonus points: Add some personal comments about why the ESA is important to you—for example, you know it was important for Bald Eagles; you are worried about monarchs and want them to be protected, etc. Including a personal note (even a few lines) makes your letter standout.
See below for the draft letter for you to send to your Congressional Representative. After the letter, is a list of representatives for PA. The NJ list is in progress but you should be able to find it online: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Please let us know if you have sent the letter by email, [email protected]
Thanks
Perri & Rob
8 September 2025
NDAA – PLEASE VOTE NO ON BIGGS ANTI-ESA AMENDMENT
Dear Representative NAME
As a constituent of district STATE-NUMBER I urge you to vote NO to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 3838) amendment regarding Exclusions from Endangered Species Act proposed by Rep. Briggs (currently listed as Rep. Biggs (R-AZ) Amendment #781 prior to being made in order) should it come to a vote. This amendment would exempt defense related activities from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Department of Defense has long worked with the expert wildlife agencies to ensure it meets its obligations under the ESA while still maintaining military readiness. At a time when our planet is facing an extinction crisis of epic proportions, Congress should not be undermining our most effective tool for preventing extinctions.
The Biggs amendment, which has been brought up again despite being soundly defeated with bipartisan support for the past two years, would take sweeping action to essentially exempt the U.S. military from compliance with the ESA.
The amendment prohibits the Secretary from designating as critical habitat any military installation or National Guard installation, or any other lands or waters designated for use by the Defense Department – including defense contractors – that the Secretary of Defense deems necessary for training, weapons testing or any other reason.
The amendment also exempts the Secretary of Defense from consulting under Section 7(a)(2) of the ESA to ensure that Defense Department actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of an endangered or threatened species or result in destruction of critical habitat for such species (regardless of whether the area in question is subject to an integrated natural resources management plan under the Sikes Act).
Finally, the amendment exempts military personnel – including contractors and even employees of non-military agencies – engaged in national defense-related operations, including research, weapons testing, training, and any action the Secretary of Defense deems necessary to support the Defense Department’s mission, from the prohibitions on taking endangered species in Section 9 of the ESA.
This amendment would thus carve a huge and needless loophole in the ESA for all manner of military activities, including activities of a multitude of industrial contractors and subcontractors, exposing endangered and threatened species to unrestricted harm and possible extinction. The lands managed by the Department of Defense are an essential component of our nation’s biodiversity. The Department of Defense manages approximately 27 million acres of land on 338 military installations. These lands support the preservation of ecologically important native habitats such as old-growth forests, tall-grass prairies, coastal beaches, and wetlands, making military installations a haven for fish, wildlife, and plants, including rare and unique species. Over 400 threatened and endangered species live on DOD-managed lands. Public access to many of these sites is limited due to security and safety concerns, sheltering them from disturbance and development.
There is no evidence that compliance with the ESA threatens the nation’s military security. The Department of Defense has long worked, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state wildlife agencies, to conserve fish and wildlife resources, including imperiled species, on military lands. Under the Sikes Act, 16 U.S.C. § 670, the Department of Defense develops and implements integrated natural resources management plans to manage and protect natural resources, including listed species, on military lands. Military lands are already excluded from designation as critical habitat where such plans provide a benefit to listed species. 16 U.S.C. § 1533(a)(3)(B)(i). Exempting the Department of Defense and its many industrial contractors from compliance with the ESA puts our nation’s natural legacy at needless risk.
Again, should this proposed amendment come to a vote please vote NO on Rep. Biggs’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would exclude military institutions and defense-related operations from the Endangered Species Act. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Name
City of home address]
District Directors (or equivalent) for Pennsylvania Congresspeople:
1st District - Rep. Fitzpatrick
Kyle Melander: [email protected]
2nd District - Rep. Boyle
Sean Tobin: [email protected]
3rd District – Rep. Evans
Felicia Parker-Cox: [email protected]
4th District – Rep. Dean
Mike Tucker: [email protected]
5th District – Rep. Scanlon
Lauren Cox: [email protected]
6th District – Rep. Houlahan
Sue Walker: [email protected]
7th District – Rep. Mackenzie
Paige Reigner: [email protected]
8th District – Rep. Bresnahan
Brian Langan: [email protected]
9th District - Rep. Meuser
Mike Shay: [email protected]
10th District – Rep. Perry
Jodi Marsico: [email protected]
11th District – Rep. Smucker
Larissa Bailey: [email protected]
12th District – Rep. Lee
Brandon Forbes: [email protected]
13th District – Rep. Joyce
Susan Fahnestock: [email protected]
14th District – Rep. Reschenthaler
Nate Nevala: [email protected]
15th District – Rep. Thompson
Brad Moore: [email protected]
16th District – Rep. Kelly
Melanie Brewer: [email protected]
17th District – Rep. Deluzio
Seron Cox: [email protected]
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