AUSTIN – As recently reported in E&E News, representatives from states should now be included in assessments by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when considering a species for possible listing as part of Endangered Species Act.
This new USFWS directive comes from a memo from Principal Deputy Director Greg Sheehan directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to include two state representatives on ESA species status assessment teams.
“The new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy to include representatives from state governments in endangered species species status assessments is a great step forward in respecting federalism and the role of the states in conservation,” said Robert Henneke, general counsel and director of the Center for the American Future at Texas Public Policy Foundation. “States are in the best position to have the most current information about a species within their jurisdiction, and this inclusion will give U.S. Fish and Wildlife better access to the best, most currently available science. I applaud Secretary Zinke’s willingness to seek the input and advice of states before imposing more endangered species regulations.”
For more information or to request an interview, please contact Alicia Pierce at[email protected] or 512-472-2700.
The Honorable Robert Henneke is general counsel and director of the Center for the American Future at Texas Public Policy Foundation.
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