Endangered Species Act: Hey Big Spenders, Forgetting Something? Like Protection of Endangered Species?
Endangered Species Act: Hey Big Spenders, Forgetting Something? Like Protection of Endangered Species?
New legislation fails to protect endangered species, specifically relaxes law on the Florida Manatee and will be like a "pin-free ATM" for big developers
September 29, 2005
(Washington, DC) -- Rep. Wasserman Schultz released the following statement in response to legislation passed by the House of Representatives today revising the Endangered Species Act:
"Today the House passed a bill that protects big developers and further threatens endangered wildlife," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "Most disturbing of all was an amendment to this legislation that specifically targets the Florida Manatee with greater exemptions from endangered species protection status. This amendment undermines a process that the State of Florida and the Fish and Wildlife Service have in place to recover manatees in Floridait would completely short-circuit the progress made by state and federal agencies."
"The revised bill essentially pays people to comply with the law," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "Imagine if we revised all laws in this manner, we could all get offered checks in order to not run red lights."
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 99 percent of the species listed as endangered have been saved from extinction and more than two-thirds of listed species with known trends are stable or improving.
Despite this success, revised legislation was passed today that would pay people to comply with the legislation, essentially opening up the federal coffers to huge payouts. The legislation, as written, could also open up the federal treasury to any claim, whether valid or not, allowing developers to simply propose a development and demand compensation, whether or not the development is viable.
In an unprecedented move to exempt a single type of activity, dock building, from a key conservation provision of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an amendment was made to the revised endangered species act. After losing in court, some boaters and marine contractors came to Congress asking for special favors so they can continue their development without addressing impacts on the endangered Florida Manatee. It is not only bad policy but it also undermines recovery efforts by the State of Florida and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/fl20_schultz/ESA.html