Endangered Species Act

Colorado Governor Bill Owens, just installed as chairman of the National Governors Association announced that he plans to use that platform to seek changes to the ESA consistent with ESA policy adopted by the Western Governor’s Association this month. The WGA was remarkably active in September, adopting several policy positions on ESA. The ESA Delisting Policy pushes for quantitative goals established at the time of listing, that when met result in delisting. The ESA Reauthorization and Amendment Policy is more ambitious and comprehensive. While recognizing that bipartisan support is the only way legislation will pass, the agenda the policy sets is huge. The three areas it focuses on are: increasing the role of the states; to streamline the act; and to provide technical support and certainty for (private and public) landowners and water users. (Water is specifically mentioned.) The policy then goes on to a long list of specific recommendations for change.
It calls for a fundamental shift in the relationship between the feds and the states, with a delegated authority program to allow states to regulate endangered species.

This is from the September 29th edition of The Western Waterfront