New ESA Bills Introduced

New ESA Bills Introduced

Susan Allen
Susan Allen
With your Land and Livestock Report I'm Susan Allen. Last week the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on five different bills that could potentially change the Endangered Species Act. While a few of the bills are receiving support from both parties there is still a great divide between the Democrats and Republicans on how the ESA should be implemented. (Imagine that) The Transparency Act was spawned in the Northwest Here's aginfo's Matt Rice.

RICE : Sponsored by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R- WA), the "State, Tribal, and Local Species Transparency Act," fosters greater federal and state cooperation and data transparency in species designations. It also ensures on-the-ground data is factored into listing decisions.

Another interesting Bill titled the "Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act," would cap attorneys' fees in ESA cases and ensures that the fees are only awarded to prevailing parties. This measure would bring lawsuits under ESA in line with other types of civil lawsuits against the government.

Finally the USDA Opens More Land for Emergency Haying and Grazing Offering more relief for farmers dealing with a drought in Montana, North Dakota,South Dakota and parts of Colorado. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is authorizing the use of additional Conservation Reserve Program lands for emergency grazing and haying.

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