Pombo Set to File ESA Reauthorization Bill

Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) is set to file legislation next week to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act. Key Republican leaders that include Pombo, Greg Walden (OR), Mike Crapo (ID), and Lincoln Chafee (RI) have all banned together to "modernize and strengthen the 30-year-old ESA so that it can become a more effective tool for recovering threatened and endangered species." The term "property rights" are not to be discussed, used or even considered during this process. In fact, property rights advocates have been advised by Mr. Pombo and Senator Crapo to replace "property rights" terminology with "recovery and conservation" because the mere mention of those two dreaded words might hamper their efforts to make small "fixes" to the Act. As a precursor to filing his bill, Pombo just released a new report on the failures of the implementation of the Act emphasizing the miserable species recovery rate as being the worst aspect of the ESA. Not one mention was made about how the ESA has destroyed thousands of American's lives, livelihoods and industry.