Charleston Leader

U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) recently published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, highlighting the flaws of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and presenting a comprehensive road map to address them.

The op-ed begins by acknowledging the original intent of the ESA, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago. The purpose of the legislation was to establish a clear process for the recovery of species on the brink of extinction. However, over the years, the ESA has deviated from its original purpose and has become a weapon used by the Left to appease environmental activists, resulting in negative consequences for landowners and communities.

Currently, there are approximately 1,667 threatened or endangered species protected under the ESA. Shockingly, only 62 of these species have been considered "recovered." Furthermore, the op-ed points out that a significant portion of the downlisted species owe their improvement to data errors rather than the protections provided by the ESA. This highlights the ineffectiveness of the legislation in achieving its goals.

The authors commend the Trump administration for implementing reforms in 2019 that aimed to strike a balance between protecting endangered species and avoiding unnecessary burdens on landowners. These reforms allowed agencies to research and share the economic impacts of listing determinations under the ESA. However, the Biden administration's approach to the ESA has reversed these reforms, granting more power to unelected bureaucrats and burdening landowners and communities with excessive regulations.

To address these issues, the bipartisan and bicameral Western Caucus Foundation compiled a comprehensive report on the ESA's failures and problems. The report serves as a roadmap for common-sense reforms that aim to modernize the ESA and make it more effective in achieving its intended purpose. The op-ed emphasizes the urgent need for immediate reform, as the current success rate of less than 5% in recovering endangered species is unacceptable.

The authors express their appreciation for the good intentions behind the ESA and emphasize the importance of preserving America's iconic species and landscapes. They hope to work together to modernize this antiquated policy in a way that actually leads to the recovery of endangered species without negatively impacting the communities surrounding them.

In conclusion, Capito and Lummis highlight the flaws of the Endangered Species Act and present a comprehensive road map for reform. Their op-ed calls for immediate action to address the shortcomings of the ESA and ensure that it fulfills its original purpose of protecting endangered species while empowering landowners and businesses to be partners in conservation efforts.