Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY ACT OF 2005 -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 07, 2005)
SPEECH OF
HON. BOB ETHERIDGE
OF NORTH CAROLINA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2005
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill. (H.R. 3824) to amend and reauthorize the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to provide greater results conserving and recovering listed species, and for other purposes:
Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in opposition to H.R 3824, the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act. Under the constitution, we are charged with securing this country's blessings not only for ourselves, but for our posterity. This bill turns its back on our posterity.
The Endangered Species Act has been a model for the protection and preservation of endangered species since 1973. When this legislation was first passed, many species in this country were on the brink of extinction, and many more were in severe decline. ESA is essential to safeguard our natural resources and ensure the biodiversity that is critical to a healthy environment for all species, including human beings. ESA is a great American success story that should only be altered with the greatest of care.
In the 30 years since the passage of the Endangered Species Act, we have seen an amazing turnaround in both the population numbers of species that were in decline, as well as in the significant environmental improvements that have fostered their recovery.
I acknowledge the concerns of landowners and fanners about the current law, and I agree that the current law needs to be reformed. This is why I support the Miller-Boehlert substitute bill. The substitute helps small landowners by dedicating funding for technical assistance for private property owners, and it provides conservation grants for landowners who help conserve endangered species on their property. Finally, it provides assurances that private citizens will get timely answers from the Fish & Wildlife Service regarding the status of endangered species requirements on their land. The Miller-Boehlert Substitute provides positive changes to the current ESA without reversing the progress that has been made over the past 30 years. The bipartisan substitute is not perfect legislation, but it is far superior to H.R. 3824.
H.R. 3824 was introduced just last week and was marked up without any public hearings, yet this legislation would most certainly rank as the most sweeping and significant change of environmental law in the past 3 decades.
I have grave concerns about provisions in the bill that would give political appointees the power to remove species from the endangered list, and other drastic changes such as those which would take away critical habitat areas that have been set aside for endangered species. Habitat degradation is the leading cause of species decline, and this bill proposes to eliminate critical habitat designations. I do not understand how eliminating protected areas can result in greater protection of endangered species.
The Endangered Species Act may need an update, but we must not reverse course on significant progress and results for endangered species. We have a solemn obligation to maintain responsible stewardship of America's bounty, and this legislation would abandon that responsibility. I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 3824, and to vote in favor of the balanced, bipartisan substitute legislation for ESA reform.
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