Dear NRDC Activist,

Last week, when the Trump administration announced its wildlife "extinction plan" to gut the Endangered Species Act, our response was swift — we promised to take this battle to court, if necessary, to stop these rollbacks from worsening the extinction crisis threatening 1 million species worldwide.

Now, let me be the first to share the news that NRDC, along with a coalition of environmental partners, has officially filed a lawsuit against this administration and its assault on our wildlife and the bedrock law that protects it.

We won't let President Trump enact this rollback without a vigorous legal fight. And with 47 legal victories against this administration, we know we have the legal know-how to win this critically important lawsuit. But while we take this fight to court, let's make sure Trump feels the heat from the American people who support our environment and efforts to protect it.

We're suing Trump. And while he faces us in the courtroom, send him a message to let him know that the American people stand with us in opposition to his catastrophic attack on the Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act is a bedrock federal law that protects endangered and threatened species and acts as a lifeline to the wildlife it protects. The Trump administration's willful ignorance about the looming impacts of climate change on these species and the callous disregard for their survival is a direct assault on our wildlife.

Here's how Trump's attack on the Endangered Species Act will harm imperiled wildlife:

• It reduces protections for species that are listed as "threatened," the designation given to animals and plants before they become "endangered," meaning preventative measures to protect future threatened species may be far more limited
• It exempts climate change from key parts of the law, making it more difficult to protect imperiled species like polar bears, bearded seals, and many others impacted by the effects of climate change
• It allows federal actions to move forward without fully considering all impacts on listed species — a way for the Trump administration to easily place industry needs above the needs of our natural heritage

These changes are reckless. They undermine the core of the Endangered Species Act that has protected and revitalized so many species since its inception. And they are fueled by big polluter profits. But we're not going to sit idly by while our planet faces an extinction crisis, and our president hopes to exacerbate the issue.

We'll see this administration in court. And as we prepare to mount a powerful legal offensive against these rollbacks, it's important we demonstrate the voice of the American people on our side. Send a message to Trump, opposing his attack on the Endangered Species Act.

Thank you for being with us in this fight.

Mitch Bernard
President/Chief Counsel, NRDC