One of the U.S.’s longest standing pieces of environmental legislation, credited with helping save rare whales from extinction, is the subject of an effort for cutbacks from Republican lawmakers who now feel they have the political will to do so. The Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted 1972, protects whales, seals, polar bears and other sea animals, and it places restrictions on commercial fishermen and shippers. The legislation has long been a target of conservatives and industry members who now seek to remove key pieces of it. A GOP-led bill is in the works to do just that. Conservation groups adamantly oppose the changes and say they will erase years of hard won gains for jeopardized species.