09/30/05 Potato industry supports ESA reform

Farm and Ranch September 30, 2005 A major issue for the potato industry right now is getting the Endangered Species Act reformed. Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission, says although it had the best of intentions, the 31 year-old ESA has unfortunately really failed with only 10 species recovered of the 13-hundred listed. Voigt: "And one of the key factors in how come we haven't been able to save these species is that all sorts of groups are in court actions and lawsuits and are really preventing good science from trying to recover these species. So people are getting so emotionally tied up in this they decide to do lawsuits and we just are not really looking at the science that is necessary to save our species." Voigt says House Bill 3824, the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 or TESRA, has the potato industry excited because it puts the emphasis on actually recovering species and using good science. Voigt: "This is an opportunity not only to really truly make a good effort at recovering species but also really protecting us and drawing a line in the sand and saying hey our jobs and our livelihoods are also important just as it is to save the species." Yesterday the House of Representatives passed TESRA on at 229 to 193 vote. The Senate has yet to take up ESA reform legislation. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.