Congressional Delegation in Wyoming Proposes Legislation to Bolster Species Recovery Process for Endangered Species
In a bid to refocus the Endangered Species Act on its original goal of recovering endangered species and then removing federal government intervention, Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY) have introduced the Endangered Species Recovery Act [1][3][5]. The proposed legislation has received support from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and various other conservation groups.
The main objective of the Endangered Species Recovery Act is to facilitate species recovery and then return management authority to states once species are recovered. This shift aims to promote more effective conservation outcomes [1][3][5].
Critics argue that the current Endangered Species Act has created a system where species remain listed indefinitely, with only about 3% of listed species ever being delisted [1]. By removing federal intervention after recovery, states with proven wildlife management expertise, such as Wyoming, can manage recovered species appropriately [1].
Supporters of the bill contend that it will replace what they describe as "land control" with actual species recovery and environmental policy accountability [1]. The bill also aims to celebrate recovery success by enabling local management rather than maintaining long-term federal control over species and their habitats [1].
Judy Camuso, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, supports the Endangered Species Recovery Act. She states that it will allow resources to be focused on species most in need of attention [4].
Angi Bruce, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish, and James L. Cummins, Executive Director, Wildlife Mississippi, also support the bill, stating that it is necessary to refocus efforts on species recovery [2][3].
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, which advocates for sportsmen's conservation policies, thanks Senator Lummis for introducing the Endangered Species Recovery Act. They believe that the bill aligns with the original intent of the Endangered Species Act, which is to recover species and return the management of the species to state wildlife agencies [6].
Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) are Senate cosponsors of the Endangered Species Recovery Act. David Willms, associate vice president, public lands at the National Wildlife Federation, states that renaming the Endangered Species Act as the Endangered Species Recovery Act refocuses national attention on recovering imperiled wildlife [5].
The ultimate goal of federally listing a species as endangered or threatened is the recovery of that species to a level where it no longer needs federal protections [7]. The Endangered Species Recovery Act seeks to change the narrative and approach from endless federal listings and control to facilitating recovery and then returning management authority to states, thereby promoting more effective conservation outcomes according to its proponents [1][3][5].
[1] The Hill
[2] Wyoming Game and Fish Department
[3] Wildlife Mississippi
[4] Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
[5] National Wildlife Federation
[6] Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
[7] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The Endangered Species Recovery Act, as proposed, aims to shift the focus from federal control to state management of recovered species, thus promoting more effective conservation outcomes. This Act also seeks to celebrate recovery success and refocus national attention on recovering imperiled wildlife.
The bill faces criticism for the current Endangered Species Act's indefinite species listing, with only about 3% of listed species ever being delisted. Supporters argue that removing federal intervention after recovery will allow states with proven wildlife management expertise, such as Wyoming, to manage recovered species appropriately.
