Testimony Regarding the Modernization of the Endangered Species Act to the House Committee on Natural Resources
12 Pages Posted: 18 Oct 2018
Date Written: September 25, 2018
Abstract
Forty-five years after the Endangered Species Act was enacted, we have learned a lot about how the law works and doesn’t work. We can be proud that only 1% of protected species have gone extinct. But we should be equally dissatisfied that only 3% of those species have recovered. We can and must do better. And that requires a combination of reforms. First, bold reforms are needed to improve the incentives for states, property owners, and conservationists to work together toward species recovery. And, second, process reforms must address some of the persistent points of conflict that distract from those recovery efforts.
Keywords: Endangered Species Act, ESA, endangered species, wildlife, conservation, congressional testimony, ESA modernization, ESA petition process, threatened species, administrative law, environmental law, regulation
JEL Classification: K32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation