The Endangered Species Act - Essay Example

The value of Cone's home began to slide, and stated that he would resort to simply killing any of the woodpeckers that he saw without informing others, so that he may use his land as he pleases; Cone's disregard for the Act made it pointless.

To protect endangered species, the government would have to front a massive amount of money if they wish to see success in their plans. The cost of the plan, though, would depend on each endangered species; the species would be funded individually, not as an entire group of all endangered animals (Keim, 2009). The benefit of the government interfering would be that these species would have a chance to breed and strive, rising above the status of an endangered species. The government would have rules and regulations set down to force people to be aware of their natural surroundings and the environment, in hopes of saving these species.

By not protecting an endangered species, the government does not lose money to a cause that may or may not work. Small, individual groups and organizations will have to depend on themselves if they want to see something done. The benefits of the government not helping are that others would not feel forced into helping a cause that they do not care about and that their money is going to something that they themselves can personally benefit from.

The downside to the government interfering is that homeowners begin to lose their say in how they keep and tend to their property. These people may not feel the same way about saving a species as someone else might, yet they would be required to adhere to any rules and regulations that are set down for the purpose of protecting these animals. There can also still be instances when the homeowners disregard the regulations, feeling that it is not the government's business to tell them how to tend to their yard, as Cone shows. In fact, as Cone did by threatening to just kill off the woodpecker, people can just cause more harm to the species, even if the government takes over. The downside of the government not taking action would be that people continue to have little to no regard or care about the creatures that they share a planet with. Species will be wiped out if people are not at least informed of the damage they could be causing to a species.

Either option offers strong and weak points to it. The government could offer their assistance while being loose with regulations for people whose property might be affected. With every argument, such as this one in regards to saving endangered species while allowing homeowners freedom with their property, there are always compromises that can be made to benefit and please both parties. Read More