ESA Reform Passes House Resources

On July 10, the House Resources Committee approved the Sound Science for the Endangered Species Act Planning Act of 2002, on a 22-18 vote, largely along party lines. The intent of the bill is to improve the quality of the science required to list a species under ESA, or to identify critical habitat for listed species, and to improve accountability at every phase of these processes. Features include:

• establishing a preference for field-tested and peer-reviewed data;

• including the historical context in consideration, such as population trends, ranges, and fluctuations;

• including data from all sources (not just what federal authorities select);

• a requirement for independent scientific review;

• public access to the listing process.

The bill's champions in Congress point out the high human stakes of listing decisions, noting (in Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Hansen's (R-Utah) words) that "this law has impacted millions of people and has caused ruin for thousands more."

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