Reviewed 2010

All life may depend on the plant kingdom, but without animal life the entire ecosystem as we know it would completely collapse. In 1966, Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act. This was amended into the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1969, then further developed into the landmark Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. has been involved in providing a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered/threatened species depend may be conserved and to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered and threatened species.

Traditionally, most state wildlife agency efforts were focused on game species. It is vital that existing laws and regulations encompass ALL endangered species. At present there are over 120 species in the State of Georgia alone that are on the threatened/endangered list.

GCG is aware of this great need to preserve endangered and threatened species in our state. We encourage amendments to the ESA, or reauthorization that both strengthen measures to protect these species and to expand the efforts for research on recovery and safe breeding habitats.

GCG's commitments to protection of Endangered/Threatened Species include the encouragement and support of the following:

• Legislation that will effectively protect our endangered species.
• Positive incentives, i.e. grants, subsidies, etc. for private landowners to provide natural habitat for certain species.
• Better control of wetland usage.
• Educational programs to increase awareness of the need to protect endangered fauna.
• Strengthen existing laws for the protection of fauna.
• Promote groups to catalogue latest known sightings of endangered fauna.

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