Last week, the House Resources Committee approved a series of reforms to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that will make it even more difficult to conserve and recover species. Richard Pombo's (R-CA) "Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act" (H.R. 3824) lowers standards for species recovery, injects politics into how science is used in listing decisions, and relieves federal agencies of meaningful consultation requirements. Specifically, this bill would eliminate critical habitat protections- the only portion of the current ESA that specifically protects habitat and establishes species recovery as a management goal.
The bill would also release federal agencies, including FERC, from the requirement to " look before they leap" by consulting with wildlife agencies on how decisions might affect endangered species. During hydropower licensing, formal consultation between FERC and federal wildlife agencies results in decisions on whether proposed new project operations will cause " jeopardy" to listed species, and often encourages discussion among stakeholders to find collaborative solutions that address both project and conservation needs.

The bill would also reduce the standard by which federal agencies are prohibited from jeopardizing listed species by allowing short term impacts to occur as long as federal actions do not impede the conservation of species " in the long term."

With 13 other co-sponsors, mostly from western states, the bill is expected to sail through the House of Representatives. The House Resources Committee approved the bill on September 22nd with a 26-12 vote; a full floor vote is expected this Thursday.