CEI Praises Dept of Interior's Proposed Changes to Endangered Species Act Regulations

This week, the Department of Interior announced proposed revisions to portions of the regulations that implement sections of the Endangered Species Act.

CEI Adjunct Fellow Rob Gordon said:

“After decades of implementation, it’s clear that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has a sad record of identifying and recovering endangered species while it’s been used to stymie economic growth and trample on private property rights. The law, as well as related regulations and policies, are deeply flawed. For those who wish to see effective conservation rather than an excuse to thwart economic growth, infrastructure improvements, and energy development, it is a good sign that the Trump Administration recognizes the problems. We are encouraged that Secretary Zinke has begun the process of addressing some of these flaws with new regulations. As the green swamp is sure to oppose substantial reforms, advocates of fixing things will have to vigorously engage in the rule-making process.”

Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell said:

“The Endangered Species Act is in need of fundamental reform, which only Congress can accomplish. The Act has been a miserable failure at recovering endangered wildlife populations, but a tremendous success at imposing federal land-use controls that have violated landowners’ rights and thwarted economic activity. We thus welcome the Department of the Interior’s initiative to improve some of the worst administrative practices and procedures that have developed over the past four decades. We will encourage Interior to go further with the reforms that they have proposed today.”

CEI: House Brings Transparency to Endangered Species Act, Still Needs to Protect Property Rights

Read more from Myron Ebell: Free to Prosper: Environmental Protection