Sarah Young-Teskey: Common sense needed in endangered species act

Common sense needed in endangered species act

By SARAH YOUNG-TESKEY
Guest Editorial

The current Endangered Species Act as written in 1973 is about to significantly impact many Yavapai County residents.

On Oct. 12, 2004, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposal in the Federal Register to designate areas along the Verde River from Clarkdale to Horseshoe Reservoir as Critical Habitat for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.

Within this proposed critical habitat area, there are approximately 1,500 acres of irrigated land, 1,460 parcels comprising approximately 4,500 acres of mostly private land, 839 buildings and residences, and 480 wells. Municipalities, well owners, private landowners, homeowners, and irrigators will be impacted by this designation.

This nation needs an Endangered Species Act that holds people in the same high regard it does plants and animals. The current Endangered Species Act, relatively unchanged since 1973, was written largely to protect high-profile animals and plants from extinction. It's clear from the controversy spawned by the law's harsh regulations that it has exceeded its original scope and intent. Consideration of those who own and care for the land is as critical to the ultimate recovery of endangered species as it is to the economic survival of America's farmers, ranchers, businesses and taxpayers.

The extent to which Congress transforms the protection of species into a positive effort that landowners can embrace will determine whether the law takes a bold, fresh step into the 21st Century or whether it continues to hobble along with comparatively little significant success. There are now more than 950 species listed, with more than 4,000 "candidate species" waiting in the wings — hardly a sign of progress.

In the past, some species were listed whether they were rare or not. In Idaho, residents financed their own campaign to delete mistakenly listed snails. Related regulations would have curtailed water use for people and food production. In California, residents hired scientists to find "endangered" fairy shrimp. They found them, in 1,226 mud holes throughout the state. Almost everywhere they looked, they found fairy shrimp.

One has to wonder how many more species would have recovered and how many fewer people would have been impacted over the last two decades had regulators harnessed the positive will of landowners through incentives that encourage the conservation of endangered species.

It's time for a change. Species protection is a worthy societal goal. It's time to make the Endangered Species Act work and it's time for all of society to invest in the effort. People are naturally more responsive to positive incentives than negative regulations. It's time to follow that path. We surely could do no worse. Unfounded fear, coercion, and the erosion of private land values is not the answer.

Let us look to the land ethics of Conservationist Aldo Leopold and the proven track record of the Natural Resource Conservation Service as role models for progress.

I strongly urge you to send in electronic comments to wiflcomments@fws.gov

or written comments to:

Steve Spangle, Field Supervisor, USFWS, Arizona Ecological Services Offices, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road,

Phoenix AZ 85021.

The public comment period has been extended to March 31, 2005.

Sarah Young-Teskey is president of Yavapai County Farm Bureau.

Common sense needed in endangered species act By SARAH YOUNG-TESKEY Guest Editorial

Common sense needed in endangered species act

By SARAH YOUNG-TESKEY
Guest Editorial