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Congressional Testimonies

Position Statement:

Reformation of the Endangered Species Act (PDF)

Issue:

That Congress gives serious and thoughtful consideration to provide consistent and reasonable action for the preservation of endangered species while minimizing adverse effects upon private property owners and the impact upon industries dependent upon access to public and private lands for natural resource development.

Background:

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-205) marks a culmination of federal legislative initiatives in the 20th Century to preserve species considered endangered. The Lacy Act in 1900, prohibiting interstate commerce of state-banned wildlife products, was the first such effort by Congress. In 1966, it was the Endangered Species Preservation Act (P.L. 89-669) that first afforded protection to entire groups of threatened species. Prior to this century, wildlife conservation measures were largely the responsibility of individual states.

Efforts to reform and reauthorize the ESA have been before Congress since 1992. For a variety of reasons, to date all efforts to achieve reauthorization of the ESA have failed. Nearly every interest group, federal agency, and Congress acknowledges the need for substantial revision of the ESA. Yet, a compromise that will both protect endangered species and minimize the impact on private property proves to be an elusive one.

Statement:

AAPG supports the reform of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-205) in order to provide consistent and reasonable action for the preservation of endangered species while minimizing the potential adverse effects upon private property owners and impact upon industries dependent upon access to public and private lands for natural resource development.

No significant legislative action.