The Endangered Species Act - Opposition To The Endangered Species Act

Opponents of the Endangered Species Act believe the law violates private property rights and stifles economic growth by curbing development. They also charge that environmental protection often results in the loss of jobs and business profits.

TABLE 2.8 The ten listed species with the highest expenditures under the Endangered Species Act, fiscal year 2004 "Table B. The Ten Species with the Highest Reported Expenditures in FY 2004," in Federal and State Endangered and Threatened Species Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2004, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2005, http://www.fws.gov/endangered/expenditures/reports/FWS%20Endangered%20Species%202004%20Expenditures%20Report.pdf (accessed February 11, 2006)

TABLE 2.8
The ten listed species with the highest expenditures under the Endangered Species Act, fiscal year 2004
2004 rank	Species (50CFRaPart17)	Statusb	Total ($000s)	2003 rank
aCode of Federal Regulations.
bE=endangered; T=threatened.
cAll subspecies, evolutionary significant units (ESUs), or distinct population segments (DPSs) combined.
SOURCE: "Table B. The Ten Species with the Highest Reported Expenditures in FY 2004," in Federal and State Endangered and Threatened Species Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2004, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2005, http://www.fws.gov/endangered/expenditures/reports/FWS%20Endangered%20Species%202004%20Expenditures%20Report.pdf (accessed February 11, 2006)
1	Salmon, chinookc	E,T	161,309.5	1
2	Steelheadc	E,T	117,380.4	2
3	Sea-lion, stellerc	E,T	42,557.3	3
4	Salmon, cohoc	T	36,648.2	4
5	Trout, bull	T	32,570.6	5
6	Salmon, sockeyec	E,T	21,827.6	6
7	Woodpecker, red-cockaded	E	14,125.1	10
8	Sturgeon, pallid	E	13,370.2	34
9	Salmon, chumc	T	13,257.9	7
10	Whale, right	E	12,369.6	8

One vocal critic of the ESA is Republican Congressman Richard Pombo of California. In 1996 Pombo coau-thored the book This Land Is Our Land: How to End the War on Private Property, in which he asserted that the ESA and other federal laws infringe upon private property rights. Since taking office in 1993, the Congressman has sponsored several bills calling for sweeping reforms of the ESA. The most recent legislation (H.R. 3824) was introduced in September 2005 and had ninety-five cosponsors. The bill calls for elimination of critical habitat designation, authorizes government payments for landowners prevented from carrying out planned developments, and grants greater decision-making powers to the Secretary of the Interior regarding the scientific data involved in ESA decisions. The bill was passed by the House, and was sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

In December 2005 Republican Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho and Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas introduced Senate bill S. 2110, which also calls for major reforms of the Endangered Species Act. The Senate bill seeks greater collaboration between landowners and local, state, and federal officials in decision-making and offers incentives (such as tax breaks) for landowners to cooperate in recovery activities. In a press release Congressman Pombo expressed his support for the Senate bill noting, "The ESA must be updated to incorporate more than thirty years of lessons learned. It must be modernized to provide flexibility for innovation to achieve results (http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/Press/releases/2005/121505crapolincolnstat.htm). As of May 2006 neither H.R. 3824 or S. 2110 had been passed by the Senate, but remained in committee.

TABLE 2.9 The ten listed entities with the highest expenditures under the Endangered Species Act, fiscal year 2004 Adapted from "Table A. The Ten Listed Entities with the Highest Reported Expenditures in FY 2004," in Federal and State Endangered and Threatened Species Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2004, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2005, http://www.fws.gov/endangered/expenditures/reports/FWS%20Endangered%20Species%202004%20Expenditures%20Report.pdf (accessed February 11, 2006)

TABLE 2.9
The ten listed entities with the highest expenditures under the Endangered Species Act, fiscal year 2004
Rank	Species	Population	Status*	2004 expenses
*E=endangered; T=threatened.
Note: Entity can be a species, subspecies, distinct population segment (DPS), or evolutionary significant unit (ESU).
SOURCE: Adapted from "Table A. The Ten Listed Entities with the Highest Reported Expenditures in FY 2004," in Federal and State Endangered and Threatened Species Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2004, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2005, http://www.fws.gov/endangered/expenditures/reports/FWS%20Endangered%20Species%202004%20Expenditures%20Report.pdf (accessed February 11, 2006)
1	Salmon, chinook	Spring/summer, Snake River	T	$40,578,600
2	Trout, bull	U.S.A., coterminous, lower 48 states	T	$32,570,600
3	Sea-lion, steller	Western population	E	$31,746,200
4	Steelhead	Snake River basin	T	$28,203,300
5	Steelhead	Middle Columbia River	T	$27,959,600
6	Salmon, chinook	Fall, Snake River	T	$27,428,300
7	Salmon, chinook	Puget Sound	T	$24,084,900
8	Salmon, coho	Oregon, California populations	T	$23,405,700
9	Salmon, chinook	Spring, upper Columbia River	E	$20,254,600
10	Salmon, sockeye	U.S.A., Snake River	E	$17,550,200