Calvert Calls on Administration to Convene Committee on Delta Smelt

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe conceded at a House hearing this week that it was “reasonable” for the Administration to consider lifting protections for the Delta Smelt.  Ashe expressed frustration that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has apparently failed to help the species recover.  Rep. Ken Calvert observed that the environmental restrictions aren’t helping the fish despite restrictions on water deliveries intended to prevent extinction of the species.  

Calvert asserted that it’s time the Administration convene the designated committee comprised of the Agriculture Department, Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Council of Economic Advisers that can override restrictions imposed by the ESA.  As provided by the ESA, only the Bureau of Reclamation and the Governor of California can convene this committee in the case of a California endangered species.