Maine is full of majestic creatures now under attack. Maine is home to 11 species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, these species are now threatened by actions to undermine the Endangered Species Act. As a Christian, I am deeply troubled by any efforts to harm God’s creation and weaken protections for our most imperiled plants and animals.

In Genesis 1:26 we read that God put humans on earth to steward over “the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over everything that moves on the ground.” Many of our elected officials are failing to live up to this important calling, and I am asking Maine’s leaders in Washington to protect God’s creation – including at-risk animals and their habitat.

The regulatory changes recently finalized by the Trump administration represent the most pressing threat. Though there are dozens of these changes, two are particularly troubling. First, the changes allow for economic analyses to impact decisions about which species are worthy of protection. Second, they remove automatic protections for threatened species. The Endangered Species Act was designed to prevent extinction and endangerment, but removing protections for threatened species will make it harder to do just that. These changes strike at the very heart of the Endangered Species Act.

My message is simple: As a Christian, I urge our leaders in Washington to protect God’s most at-risk creatures by defending the Endangered Species Act from these reckless attacks.

Christine Seibert

Ogunquit

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