Ken Calvert: “reforming the Endangered Species Act is long overdue. Today the House has an opportunity to enact significant…”

“reforming the Endangered Species Act is long overdue. Today the House has an opportunity to enact significant improvements to ESA that restore balance and protections to species as well as landowners. One of the most effective ways to protect species habitat is through development of habitat conservation plans. The bill improves and encourages habitat conservation plans by codifying the no-surprise policy and eliminating unnecessary red tape that required multiple consultations regarding already approved actions. These important provisions will free up limited government and landowner resources and ultimately improve conservation of species habitat by encouraging more habitat conservation plans. My district in California is home to a large comprehensive habitat conservation plan both in Riverside and Orange counties. In fact, the West Riverside County Multi-Species Conservation Plan is the largest in the Nation covering over 1 million acres of land. The plan cost tens of millions of dollars to develop, years to put into effect, and will cost upward of $1 billion to implement. Once fully implemented, 500,000 acres in western Riverside County will be set aside for species habitat. It is our responsibility to ensure when landowners and local authorities undertake an extensive planning like that back in my district, the Federal Government lives up to its part of the agreement.…”