WHEREAS, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is "to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species depend may be conserved"; and
WHEREAS, projects of any government agency which destroy or threaten individuals or habitats or endangered species are in violation of this law; and
WHEREAS, projects of this type are in progress, such as the Corps of Engineers' Meramec Park Lake project in eastern Missouri which will cover caves and habitat which are important for two endangered species, Myotis grisescens and Myotis sodalis; and
WHEREAS, some court decisions on such projects have been against the endangered species, which thereby weakens the Act; and
WHEREAS, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service lacks the authority, personnel, and funds to adequately enforce the provisions of the Act;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists gives its fullest support to the Act; encourages Congress to give authority and appropriate funding to the Act, and encourages conservation organizations to bring suit against agencies, government and other, that have projects threatening individuals or habitats of endangered species.