Political Quotes

“Nearly 50 years ago, President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law, which was designed to do two things: Number 1, prevent species from going extinct; and Number 2, promote their recovery back to health and healthy populations. Since then, hundreds of plants and animals have joined the endangered or threatened species list, spurring conservation and recovery efforts at all levels of government. While this landmark species protection law is well-intentioned and has accomplished many good things, it has become an endless source of conflict and, unfortunately, many rightly consider it a dismal failure. The Endangered Species Act hasn't seen meaningful reform since 1973. And since then, less than 3 percent of species have recovered and been delisted. The Congressional Western Caucus has long advocated for improvements to modernize the ESA and make it more effective for our species and more transparent for the American people. My colleagues in the caucus have advocated on behalf of the rural communities that we represent who are severely impacted by the ESA listing decisions and who, in many cases, are working in collaboration with private landowners, community groups, Tribes, and local governments to promote successful species recovery and land conservation.…”