In the last two weeks, both the Senate and House have introduced bills proposing damaging amendments to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the leading piece of science-based legislation used to protect and recover biodiversity in the United States. Notably, Senator John Barrasso, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) and long-time critic of the Act, released a discussion draft of the bill he’s been working on entitled, “the Endangered Species Act Amendments of 2018.” The changes to the Act would introduce more routes for political interference under the guise of increased transparency, while relegating science to an afterthought instead of the basis upon which Endangered Species Act decisions are made. An EPW hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning, where representatives from Wyoming, Colorado, and Virginia will testify before the committee on the proposed changes to the Act.
Here are some of the most concerning pieces of the misguided Barrasso proposal and what you need to know:
WOW! every species on planet earth is under attach. I sure hope we get more responsible members in the house and senate in November.
The proposed amendments seem reasonable to me. Why should a small group of people have near dictatorial power to make decisions affecting all of us and not even be required to explain or justify their edicts?
Of COURSE politics will be involved. What would happen if they required the razing of Manhattan in order to save a certain rare pigeon species? Wouldn’t get very far would it? Yet government bureaucrats feel free to run roughshod over tribes, farmers, and small communities.
There is so much shit being pulled, it's damned near impossible to keep up with it all.
Fucking assholes don't care about anything but making more money for themselves and their cronies.
yep. we gotta revolt