Senator Cynthia Lummis and Representative Harriet Hageman, both from Wyoming, have introduced new legislation that would change the name of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to the Endangered Species Recovery Act. The lawmakers say this change is intended to emphasize the law’s original purpose of recovering species rather than keeping them on the federal list indefinitely.
“Washington bureaucrats have lost sight of the original mission of the Endangered Species Act,” said Sen. Lummis. “Instead of celebrating recovery success by removing federal intervention, they’ve created a system that keeps species listed indefinitely. The Endangered Species Recovery Act refocuses this law on its original purpose: recovering species and then getting the federal government out of the way. States like Wyoming have proven track records in wildlife management, and when species recover, we should celebrate that success by allowing appropriate local management to resume.”
Rep. Hageman noted that only a small percentage of listed species have ever been delisted under the current law. “For over 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has operated under a misleading title and a failed model, with only 3% of listed species ever delisted,” she said. “This is land control, not conservation. By renaming it the Endangered Species Recovery Act, we are reflecting the law’s true intent, actually recovering species. This change is long overdue. With this legislation, we are putting action and accountability back into environmental policy.”
Support for the proposed legislation comes from several organizations involved in wildlife management and conservation.
Angi Bruce, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish, stated: “The Endangered Species Act is a remarkable law that was created to protect and recover species. While this landmark act has primarily focused on species protection over the past 50 years, this revision in the name of the Act is necessary to refocus how we think about listed species and better reflect its original intent. Changing the name sets the stage for emphasizing future work on recovery. With over 1600 species listed, now is the time to focus on actions needed for delisting. Special thanks to Senator Lummis for her leadership on endangered species reform.”
Judy Camuso, Commissioner of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, added: “The ultimate goal of federally listing a species as endangered or threatened has always been the recovery of that species to a level where the species is no longer imperiled and can thrive without the need of federal protections. Successfully recovering and delisting species allows limited resources to be focused on the species most in need of attention. State fish and wildlife agencies are dedicated partners in species recovery and management, and we appreciate Senator Lummis’ acknowledgment of the importance of species recovery and raising its prominence by including it in the title of the Endangered Species Recovery Act.”
Taylor Schmitz from Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation also voiced support: “The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) thanks Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Senator Lummis for introducing the Endangered Species Recovery Act. Despite the Endangered Species Act (ESA) becoming an endless place of entrapment for many listed fish and wildlife species, the intent behind the ESA was and remains to recover species and return the management of the species to state wildlife agencies, who have primary authority over most fish and wildlife across country. This legislation reaffirms intent … rather than needlessly keeping them on a list once they have met population recovery goals.”
James L. Cummins from Wildlife Mississippi commented: “I commend Senator Lummis for her legislation and trying to focus … more on recovery… The ESA has been effective in preventing some species from becoming extinct; however, it can be significantly improved by creating new recovery efforts… As long as status quo … not increasing populations … maintained, recovery … will not occur.”
David Willms at National Wildlife Federation said: “Renaming … is a thoughtful way to refocus national attention on what matters most—recovering imperiled wildlife… reinforces that goal isn’t to manage decline but return species … healthy sustainable populations… It’s a commonsense update that aligns name … with its original purpose.”
Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Jim Risch (R-ID) are cosponsoring this bill in Senate.
The full text of this bill can be found online.
