Sam Gibbons: “those of us in the West are in desperate need of some real reform to the Endangered Species Act. If we fail to implement…”

“those of us in the West are in desperate need of some real reform to the Endangered Species Act. If we fail to implement commonsense changes to the Endangered Species Act, the act itself will be in danger. Too often ranchers, farmers and local governments are finding themselves and their scientific data overruled by emotion, the emotion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, an agency often guided in their decision-making by well-funded, emotionally driven environmental groups. I have seen firsthand the misuse of the ESA. In Nevada, the State Department of Wildlife had decades of biological scientific data recommending that the bulltrout in Elko's Arbidge River not be listed as an endangered species. Yet the State's scientific data was thrown out the window by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, not because of competing Federal science but because of a petition drive by a special interest group instead of sound science. We all want to protect endangered species. However, we should do so in a fair manner based on scientific evidence and not personal emotion. Passing ESA reforms will restore integrity to the law, ensuring that both environment and the interests of our communities are protected.”