Lawmakers Set Sights On Changes To Endangered Species Act
Federal lawmakers are making a move to change the Endangered Species Act. On Thursday, members of the U.S. House announced legislation they say will “modernize” one of the country’s seminal environmental laws, originally passed in 1973.
Members of the House Western Caucus say the nine pieces of legislation are designed to streamline the administration of the Endangered Species Act, provide more local control and protect property rights.
At an event held outside the U.S. Capitol and livestreamed via social media, the lawmakers said only 3 percent of listed species have recovered and been successfully removed from the endangered species list.
“That means the Endangered Species Act is the most inept program we have in the federal government,” said Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah.
They highlighted proposed changes that would provide incentives to landowners, allow officials to be more selective in considering petitions to add species to the endangered species list and make it easier to remove species once they’re listed.
“We’re seeing the decimation of rural communities, rural jobs and things that people need to thrive, whether it’s food, fiber, shelter,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.
Five representatives from the Pacific Northwest are members of the House Western Caucus: Washington Republicans Jaime Herrera Beutler, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, and Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.
The legislation is also backed by numerous energy, agriculture, timber, mining and developer organizations, as well as hunting and trapping groups.
Susan Jane Brown, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center, says industry advocates in congress push reforms to weaken the environmental law fairly regularly, but that the Endangered Species Act remains popular among voters.
Brown says species recovery efforts have been under-funded by Congress.
She says Northwest salmon and steelhead have particularly benefited from the law.
“Because of the act, their slide towards extinction has been halted. We can do a lot better on recovering them, but at least they’re not going backwards,” Brown said. “So if you remove those protections, your back in a situation where you’re sliding backwards.”
Oregon is home to 57 species on the endangered species list. Washington has 48. California has 300.
Copyright 2018 EarthFix
Related Stories:
Once Imperiled, America’s Bald Eagle Populations Are Soaring
A new survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found there are more than 70,000 breeding pairs of the iconic raptor in the contiguous U.S. In the late 1960s, there were fewer than 500. Continue Reading Once Imperiled, America’s Bald Eagle Populations Are Soaring
Endangered Species Status Of Northern Spotted Owl Will Remain Unchanged
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service ruled against upgrading the iconic Northern spotted owl’s protection status Monday under the Endangered Species Act. Continue Reading Endangered Species Status Of Northern Spotted Owl Will Remain Unchanged
Endangered Species Act Protection Sought For A Northwest Freshwater Mussel
A 2017 analysis that looked at historic versus recent distributing areas of the species and found that the populations have declined by almost 50% of its historic range and it has been accelerating in recent years. Continue Reading Endangered Species Act Protection Sought For A Northwest Freshwater Mussel
