Recovery
The law’s ultimate goal is to “recover” species so they no longer need protection under the ESA. Recovery
plans describe the steps needed to restore a species to ecological health. FWS biologists write and implement
these plans with the assistance of species experts; other Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes;
nongovernmental organizations; academia; and other stakeholders.
The
Endangered Species Act
also implements U.S. participation in CITES.
It is appropriate here to comment about SCI’s current position regarding the ESA…
…As presented to many members of Congress on May 5
th
, 2011:
Endangered Species Act Reform
SCI Supports Modernizing the Endangered Species Act
Safari Club International requests that Congress work to modernize the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) to focus on species recovery and address the Act’s numerous failures.
Current Problems with Endangered Species Act
Species Recovery:
The primary goal of the ESA has been to recover species at risk of extinction. Unfortunately the
ESA has failed in its species recovery efforts. Currently there are over 2000 species listed as “threatened” or
“endangered” while only 20 recovered species have been removed from these lists since the ESA was enacted.
Management by Litigation:
Presently, the vast majority of the scientific decisions for species conservation are
inappropriately being made by the courts and not by the wildlife professionals within the federal agencies tasked
to administer the ESA. Litigation is dictating the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries
Service’s (NMFS) priorities for dealing with species in jeopardy and is depleting the agencies’ personnel and
financial resources.
Economic Impact:
The ESA detrimentally impacts jobs and the economy, particularly in rural communities. There
are numerous examples of sustainable human development projects with carefully planned wildlife mitigation
measures being blocked and private property rights being infringed by the ESA.
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