Endangered Species Act Amendments

Next week, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing entitled “The Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments of 2018.”  The Committee will debate Chair John Barrasso’s (R-Wyoming) proposal to expand the role of state and local governments in the enforcement of ESA protections for endangered species.  

Chair Barrasso released a discussion draft last week which was met with a mix of praise and contempt.  The bill is celebrated by rural state and local governments and businesses for softening the role of the federal government in ESA enforcement issues.  Environmentalists, however, fear the bill would severely cripple ESA if signed into law.  Chair Barrasso will have an opportunity to address these concerns during the hearing on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.