The 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — the most consequential environmental legislation ever created — is ringing in a new year of hope. As we celebrate the strides made in biodiversity legislation, let’s draw inspiration to forge even more robust laws this new year. In the face of the urgent biodiversity crisis, our new legislation must match the immediacy of this threat. …contrary to its seemingly gradual pace, species are vanishing 1,000 times faster than the natural background rate of extinction – a pace that surpasses even the aftermath of the comet that led to the demise of the dinosaurs. …While Congress seems unable to pass meaningful legislation, we cannot wait to take action on extinction. The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act has the potential to be this generation’s exemplar of forward-looking legislation that addresses the calamity we have caused, and could benefit both people and wildlife for future generations, if passed.