SE Wyoming News

Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis and Senator Shelley Moore Capito have written an op-ed published in the Washington Examiner, highlighting the flaws of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and proposing a comprehensive road map to fix it. The op-ed emphasizes that the well-intended law has deviated from its original purpose and now does more harm than good.

The ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago with the aim of establishing a clear process for recovering species on the verge of extinction. However, over the years, the law has been misused and has become a weapon for the Left to appease environmental activists, punishing landowners and communities without effectively recovering the species it aims to protect.

Currently, there are approximately 1,667 threatened or endangered species protected under the ESA, but only 62 of them have been classified as "recovered" species. Moreover, a significant number of the downlisted species owe their improvement to data error rather than the ESA's protections.

In 2019, the Trump administration introduced meaningful reforms to the delisting of species and the designation of critical habitats, striking a balance between protecting endangered species and not burdening landowners. These reforms allowed agencies to research and share the economic impacts of listing determinations under the ESA. However, the Biden administration has reversed these reforms, giving unelected Washington bureaucrats more power and imposing onerous red tape on landowners and communities.

To address the shortcomings of the ESA, the bipartisan and bicameral Western Caucus Foundation has compiled a comprehensive report that details the law's problems and failures. The report serves as a road map for commonsense reforms to modernize the ESA and empower landowners and businesses to be partners in preserving iconic species and landscapes.

With a success rate of less than 5%, it is evident that the ESA is ineffective at recovering dwindling species populations on the verge of extinction and urgently needs reform. Lummis and Capito recognize the good intentions of the legislation but emphasize the need to modernize the policy in a way that actually achieves the recovery of endangered species without harming the communities around them.

It is crucial to strike a balance between conservation efforts and the impact on local communities. The proposed reforms aim to update the ESA so that it aligns with its original purpose and empowers stakeholders rather than burdening them with unnecessary regulations. Lummis and Capito hope to work collaboratively to ensure that the ESA becomes an effective tool for preserving America's iconic species and landscapes while supporting the prosperity of landowners and businesses.

The op-ed concludes by stating that now, more than ever, there is a responsibility to reform the ESA and address its failures. By doing so, the legislation can better fulfill its intended purpose and contribute to the recovery of endangered species without sacrificing the well-being of the communities that surround them.