mr. chairman , i rise today to express my strong opposition to the threatened and endangered species recovery act of 2005 .  despite the deceptive title of this bill , it is a measure designed to weaken the protections secured under the landmark endangered species act ( esa ) .  while scientists are uncertain about the exact rate of extinction , they estimate that it is probably thousands of times greater than the rate prior to human civilization .  in 1973 congress enacted the esa to address this problem of species extinction .  the esa is a comprehensive legal measure that is used to identify and protect species that are determined to be the most at risk .  under this law , once a species is designated as either `` endangered '' or `` threatened , '' powerful legal tools are available to aid in the recovery of the species and to protect its habitat .  without these strong federal protections hundreds of species including the bald eagle , grizzly bear , florida panther , and the manatee would all be extinct .  the bill we are debating today is flawed in many ways , but i am particularly concerned with its removal of habitat protection from the endangered species act .  habitat destruction , degradation , and fragmentation is the most significant cause of species extinction .  this legislation blatantly ignores the integral role habitat plays in the survival of a species by eliminating the designation of `` critical habitat. '' without this special designation , our government 's ability to recover species will be severely undermined .  it is disconcerting that some of my colleagues do not value saving our unique natural treasures , but it is appalling that they refuse to acknowledge that the endangered species act is about much more than saving a unique species .  it is undeniable that the world in which we live is an intricately connected environment that is suffering from human abuse and neglect .  the loss of a species interrupts the life cycle of the ecosystem it was part of and alters our environment in ways far beyond this isolated event .  the endangered species act is a vital tool in preventing and reversing these life cycle disruptions before they ripple out and cause further damage to our natural communities .  we all agree that this law should be revisited and improvements to the law should be implemented .  i understand the concerns of my colleagues that this law has been abused at the detriment of their constituents ' rights .  however , i believe there are ways to balance the needs of development and property rights with the need to protect the health of the environment which we all share .  instead of working towards a true compromise , we are considering legislation that is based on the fallacious premise that environmental protection requires a trade-off with private interests .  it takes a very short-sighted , short term view of our world and our economy .  it ignores the long term damage catering to these private interests will have on our future .  the threatened and endangered species recovery act of 2005 severely hampers the effectiveness of the endangered species act .  i urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation that will result in far reaching and detrimental impacts .  