The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supports legislation just introduced before Congress to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA), enacted into law in 1973. Originally meant to protect and recover species in danger of extinction, it has since been used repeatedly by environmentalist and anti-wildlife management groups to file lawsuits seeking stop recovery and frustrate conservation work and active forest management.
“Five decades of case law informed by radical environmental activists has transformed the Endangered Species Act into a purgatory for wildlife. As sportsmen and women, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation takes seriously our commitment to wildlife conservation and believes we can and should do better,” said RMEF President and CEO Kyle Weaver. “The ESA Amendments Act of 2024 represents a positive step towards returning the ESA to its original mission, ensuring already limited resources go towards species recovery, not fighting endless court battles. RMEF thanks Chairman Westerman for his leadership on this bill.”
Legislation key points:
- Incentivizes wildlife conservation on private lands.
- Empowers states to enact species recovery plans as state and local officials know best how to manage populations without harming communities.
- Requires that removal of a species is not subject to judicial review during the 5-year monitoring period.
- Creates greater transparency and accountability in recovering listed species.
- Appropriations authorizing number- $431,755,000 – which is the total authorized in House FY25 bills for Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) ESA activities.
“In the fifty years since its enactment the Endangered Species Act has overwhelmingly failed in its mission to recover vulnerable species,” said Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-WA). “In order to ensure that reforms to the ESA work for our species while also ending abuse of the law by anti-development activists, the Congressional Western Caucus and House Natural Resources Committee created the ‘ESA Working Group’ to propose solutions after hearing feedback from subject matter experts. The ESA Amendments Act is the result of this group, and I’m proud to introduce the bill along with Chairman Westerman. This bill will help recover species while allowing rural America to prosper.”
“We can all agree that America’s rich biodiversity needs to be conserved for generations to come,” said Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR). “However, while initially well-intentioned, radical environmentalists have weaponized the Endangered Species Act to the point where the current law has patently failed to achieve its goals for species recovery. With the modernizing legislation we’re introducing today, we will make long-overdue reforms to the ESA and ensure the continued abundance of America’s wildlife.”
Organizations supporting the ESA Amendments Act include: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Forest Resource Council, American Petroleum Institute, American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Essential Minerals Association, Forest Landowners Association, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition, National Mining Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Property and Environment Research Center, Public Lands Council, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Western Energy Alliance.
Read the full news release here and comments from other industry leaders here.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)