Vitter: Another Layer of Secrecy Added to Fish & Wildlife Services' Endangered Species Listin

Statement

U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, today released a response from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), regarding closed-door settlement agreements between FWS, the Center for Biological Diversity, and WildEarth Guardians that will lead to the final listing determinations for more than 250 species over the next six years. The FWS continues to hide documents related to their settlement agreements.

"There's been an awful lot of controversy surrounding the Administration's decision to enter a closed-door settlement agreement that could put 250 new species on the endangered species list. This response only furthers the suspicion that the secret settlement may have been irrational at best and nefarious at worst," Vitter said. "One way or another we're going to get the information on these agreements that have already put a significant number of private property owners' rights at risk. FWS is attempting to create a brand new loophole to keep their settlements secret from the public and from Congress, but I'd like to remind them of the commitment to be the most transparent administration in history."

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