On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee heard testimony on the Administration’s budget request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as well as several bills aimed at reforming the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed legislation up for discussion included bills that would place additional requirements on USFWS for economic considerations and approval of lawsuit settlements. The hearing encompassed a broad discussion of the need for reforming various aspects of how the ESA is administered, and included testimony from Dan Ashe, Director of USFWS, as well as representatives from the Defenders of Wildlife and the National Association of Counties.
Testifying on behalf of county interests, Valley County, Idaho Commissioner Gordon Cruickshank offered recommendations for improvements on ESA, and provided examples of how county governments have been working to help species recovery nationwide. Most notably, Commissioner Cruickshank highlighted the work of RCRC member Mono County in the species recovery of the bi-state population of sage grouse, which was recently kept off of the Endangered Species list due to a coordinated effort between the county, local wildlife advocates, and state and federal agencies.
Detailed information on the hearing, as well as an archived webcast of the hearing, can be accessed here.