U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and other members of the Congressional Western Caucus have reintroduced a bill to add flexibility to federal rules involving threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The legislation will grant landowners leeway and the Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service flexibility when dealing with imperiled species, according to a caucus release.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the ESA, and its disappointing track record highlights the urgent need for reform,” said Newhouse, who chairs the caucus. “I’m proud to join Western Caucus Vice Chair Stauber in re-introducing this legislation to provide the Fish and Wildlife Service with additional flexibilities in implementing regulations to recover species while avoiding actions detrimental to landowners. Western Caucus members will continue to prioritize reforming the ESA to make sure the law works better for both species and rural America.”

There are currently two classifications under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): endangered and threatened. Section 4(d) of the ESA provides flexibility for threatened species, allowing the Department of the Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service to develop fit-for-purpose regulations to help maintain and improve threatened species' status, while simultaneously reducing undue regulatory burdens that are affecting energy development, farming, and logging activities.

The ESA Flexibility Act would help further alleviate the undue regulatory burdens posed by the ESA by expanding section 4(d) and allowing the Secretary of the Interior to also utilize 4(d) rules for species listed as endangered.

Proponents say the ESA Flexibility Act will allow for better, fit-for-purpose management of endangered species across the country while still supporting responsible land use and management.

Source: Congressional Western Caucus