Testimony in support of the Rice’s whale

Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Elena, and I am an intern at Environment Texas, a statewide, citizen funded environmental group, and a student in my 3rd year at UT Austin. I reside in the state of Texas, where the endangered Rice’s whales inhabit the Gulf of Mexico. I am deeply concerned about the plight of these magnificent creatures and the threats they face.

I am speaking today to express our strong support for the proposed designation of the critical habitat for Rice’s whales in the Gulf. I have always really loved animals and wildlife, and that led me to volunteer with sea turtle restoration projects in Costa Rica two different times. The time I spent working to protect nests on the beaches helped me see just how critical it is for our most endangered and amazing wildlife to have a safe place to live.

While Rice’s whales are far larger than the turtles I got to work with during my volunteer experience, they too deserve a safe place to call home, free from oil rigs and other human activities that could make their tenuous survival even more difficult. By enacting this critical habitat designation, NOAA (Noah) will be giving hope to this newly discovered but long-standing resident of the Gulf. They are depending on us to give them the best chance to survive for generations to come.

On behalf of our members, and the people across the country who love and care for our wildlife, I urge you to implement this critical habitat designation. Thank you for your time.