Foreword
On January 1, 1970, in response to growing public concern for the environment and the effects of industrial pollution, President Richard Nixon signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act, establishing the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. Soon after that, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed, Americans celebrated the first Earth Day, and Congress passed a flurry of environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and, in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA enjoyed near unanimous support at the time of its passage. The House report called the value of the genetic heritage protected…
