GOP wants to ease species-protection law

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2014/02/09/gop-wants-to-ease-species-protection-law.html

By Matthew Brown
Associated Press • Sunday February 9, 2014 10:50 AM

BILLINGS, Mont. — Republicans in Congress called last week for an overhaul of the Endangered Species Act to curtail lawsuits by environmentalists and give more power to states. However, experts say that broad changes to one of the nation’s cornerstone environmental laws are unlikely, given the pervasive partisan divide in Washington, D.C.

Thirteen GOP lawmakers representing states across the country released a report proposing “ targeted reforms” for the 40-year-old federal law, which protects imperiled plants and animals.

Proponents credit the law with staving off extinction for hundreds of species such as the bald eagle, American alligator and gray whale.

Critics say that the law has been abused by environmental groups seeking to restrict development in the name of species protection.

Led by Reps. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Doc

Hastings of Washington state, who chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, the Republicans want to amend the law to limit litigation by wildlife advocates that has resulted in protections for some species. And they want to give states more authority over imperiled species.

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