Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.
Our Klamath Basin
Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.
|
February 10, 2006 WWW.SAVEOURSPECIESALLIANCE.ORG In the coming weeks, the U.S. Senate will begin discussions on changes to the ESA. This past fall, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation with strong bipartisan support to make changes to the Act. The legislation was co-sponsored by Representatives Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) and Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.). Every indication thus far is that the Senate will make good on its promise of passing bipartisan, commonsense legislation addressing the inadequacies of the Endangered Species Act. In recent weeks, one piece of legislation was introduced by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) which promotes cooperative conservation and tax incentives for property owners. Additional legislation is expected to be heard in the Environment and Public Works Committee sometime in late February. The content of such legislation is not yet known, but clearly dialogue on the ESA has begun. Bipartisan and Administration Support for Modernizing the ESA With passage of legislation in the U.S. House and on going discussions in the U.S. Senate, support for updating the modernizing the ESA is spreading. According to the Associated Press at a January press conference that transferred management of about 600 Idaho wolves from the federal government to the state, “Interior Secretary Gale Norton is backing congressional efforts to rewrite the federal Endangered Species Act, an undertaking that could give landowners tax breaks for helping plants and animals and allocate more power to political appointees. "The goal of the Endangered Species Act is to recover to the point where (endangered animals) no longer need the protections," Norton said. "It's the same as hospital. The purpose of a hospital is not to keep people there." In the spirit of bipartisan collaboration over the ESA, in a December press release Chairman James Inhofe stated, “After 30 years of implementation, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have to come agree that the Endangered Species Act is in need of improvement…The fact that we have recovered only 10 species of 1,300 listed is proof that aspects of the current law are not working and thus warrant a thorough review. We’ve learned much through improvements in the science and have developed better methods for management over the last three decades, so it is time to apply that knowledge to improve the return on this important investment of our resources.” We will be watching closely as the Senate begins the process of drafting legislation. Stay tuned for further details. SOSA HOTLINE A bi-weekly newsletter of grassroots community coalition U.S. Senate Gears Up for Endangered Species Act Battle American Eagle WWW.SAVEOURSPECIESALLIANCE.ORG Call Your U.S. Senator Today! As the U.S. Senate prepares to open discussions about ESA legislation, they need to hear from constituents like you. They need to hear that the ESA needs to be updated and modernized to fit today’s needs and technology. Tell your Senator these three things: * The ESA is not working. One percent success over 32 years is not good enough! * Technology and science has changed in the past 30 years. We need to better utilize this new knowledge to protect species and private landowners. * Private citizens deserve a seat at the table when decisions are being made about their land. Although the Senate is not yet ready to vote on any specific piece of ESA legislation, the discussion will begin soon and they need to start hearing from you now. To make it easier to communicate with your Senators, go to www.saveourspeciesalliance.org and click on the link to make comments. We Need Your Help The Save Our Species Alliance website just went through a revamp and is now live with the latest information on the Senate’s efforts to pass common sense changes to the Endangered Species Act. As members of associations, conservation groups and local networks, please pass this SOSA Hotline along to remind everyone to visit the website. Also, please consider posting a link on your own website that updates visitors on the future of our efforts in the Senate and directs them to the Save Our Species Alliance website. For a drafted message, that can simply be copied and pasted onto your website, please contact the campaign at info@saveourspeciesalliance.org. CONTACT US: P.O. BOX 16508 GOLDEN, CO 80402 PH: 877-670-8800 |
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