MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release
January 14, 2009

Ecological Society of America Sends Letter to Obama
Letter outlines ecological priorities for new administration

The Ecological Society of America today sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama recommending top priorities where ecological science should inform policy decisions in the new administration.

"Ecosystems provide many services to society, ranging from food production and carbon sequestration to water purification and flood control," says ESA President Alison Power. "We look forward to aiding the new administration in making policy decisions that will sustain and enhance these services while preserving ecosystem integrity."

National security, the economy, climate change, education and health care are not isolated issues; they are often intertwined with environmental concerns. Acknowledging Obama's stated priority of addressing climate change, the letter identifies four additional areas of importance to continued ecosystem health, many of which relate directly to prominent challenges facing the country.

• Protecting water quality and quantity, especially in conjunction with worldwide agriculture and energy production practices
• Preserving biodiversity, including protecting endangered species and mitigating the effects of invasive species
• Addressing transboundary challenges, in which large-scale ecological problems, such as climate change, span geopolitical boundaries
• Providing environmental education at the K-12 level and through citizen science programs

The letter concludes by encouraging President-elect Obama to keep in mind the ecological consequences of new projects, such as building and revitalizing infrastructure, as he works to bolster the country’s economy. 

To view the ESA letter to President-elect Obama, visit  www.esa.org/pao/policyStatements/Letters/letterPresidentElect_Obama.php.

The Ecological Society of America is the world's largest professional organization of ecologists, representing 10,000 scientists in the United States and around the globe. Since its founding in 1915, ESA has promoted the responsible application of ecological principles to the solution of environmental problems through ESA reports, journals, research, and expert testimony to Congress. ESA publishes four print journals and one online-only, open-access journal Ecosphere and convenes an annual scientific conference. Visit the ESA website at www.esa.org or find experts in ecological science at www.esa.org/pao/rrt.

To subscribe to ESA press releases, contact Nadine Lymn at .