Isn BRDs real mission is to find new listings for the Endangered Species list?
No. The mission of BRD is just the opposite. Our aim — through our status and trends research — is to identify future potential problems in time to take action to prevent species from becoming endangered. As Secretary Babbitt has said, we want to avoid future “environmental train wrecks.” We intend to identify declining species and troubled ecosystems before they require protection. Also, by studying and inventorying populations of “candidate” species — those pegged for possible addition to the Endangered Species listing process — we may be able to provide the additional information needed to actually avoid the listing of some of these species.
