Reps. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Don Young, R-Alaska, Thursday introduced the Endangered Species Recovery Act, which would provide landowners with tax incentives if they agree to implement species recovery plans.

”Americans have always loved the great outdoors for our country's diversity of fish and wildlife,” said Thompson. “We should do everything we can to provide incentives to landowners to help recover our endangered and threatened species. This bill will help the government create positive partnerships with landowners to implement effective recovery plans nationwide.”

To qualify for the tax incentives, landowners must demonstrate that animals listed as endangered or threatened live or migrate through their property. The landowner also must implement a government-approved recovery plan designed to reverse the decline of the listed species.

”For too long, private property owners have suffered under the Endangered Species Act,” said Young. “An overwhelming majority of these owners are strong conservationists who want to help in the recovery of species but they have been the victims of the restrictions mandated by the original law. This is a fair bill that works in the best interests of landowners and our threatened and endangered species. It's truly a bi-partisan, multi-interest bill that will help attain our goals of treating property owners fairly and safeguarding species that need their land for their recovery.”

Landowners can qualify under the Endangered Species Recovery Act by agreeing to implement land management practices that coincide with pre-approved species recovery plans. The agreements must include a schedule, deadline and monitoring system.

Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Mike Crapo, D-Idaho, introduced companion legislation in the Senate last week.

The Endangered Species Recovery Act has been endorsed by dozens of wildlife conservation and sporting organizations, including the American Sportfishing Association, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Environmental Defense, National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition. The American Farm Bureau also supports this bill.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material  herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed  a  prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and  educational purposes only. For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Source:  http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_5395007