The Endangered Species Act should be renewed by Congress but with changes that give states more say in how and which species are protected and delisted, Gov. Dave Freudenthal said.
Freudenthal presented his recommendations for improving the act to the National Governors Association's natural resources committee in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
"There is clearly a role for the Endangered Species Act in the context of our policies both in the United States as well as in the world," Freudenthal said in a telephone interview with the media after his presentation.
"...I mean, you got all kinds of interest groups out raising money around this issue and so much of that money is going to be spent on, frankly, a pointless political fight, and let's just move on to the real issue, which is how's it going to be administered."
His recommendations include:
--Allowing delisting in a state if a protected species is doing well there, regardless of the species' status in other states;
--Allocating more federal mineral royalties to states to help develop habitat and programs dealing with endangered species;
--Providing more money to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for recovery and delisting efforts;
--Allowing state game and fish agencies to participate in selecting the scientists who review scientific evidence for listing and delisting species; and,
--Allowing states to participate in the process of listing and delisting species, although states would not have a say in the final decision.
"There's nothing in this set of recommendations that would be inappropriate regardless of what changes are made or, frankly, regardless of whether it's renewed pretty much identical to the way it is," he said.
Freudenthal said he favors eliminating frivolous lawsuits against the federal government's decisions on endangered species but he is not sure how that would be legally implemented.
He also does not favor allowing some species to go extinct.
"I would leave that determination to the scientists," he said.
Freudenthal said he will work to muster support for his ideas but said it usually takes at least a year for ideas to result in policy changes.
Freudenthal presented his recommendations for improving the act to the National Governors Association's natural resources committee in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
"There is clearly a role for the Endangered Species Act in the context of our policies both in the United States as well as in the world," Freudenthal said in a telephone interview with the media after his presentation.
"...I mean, you got all kinds of interest groups out raising money around this issue and so much of that money is going to be spent on, frankly, a pointless political fight, and let's just move on to the real issue, which is how's it going to be administered."
His recommendations include:
--Allowing delisting in a state if a protected species is doing well there, regardless of the species' status in other states;
--Allocating more federal mineral royalties to states to help develop habitat and programs dealing with endangered species;
--Providing more money to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for recovery and delisting efforts;
--Allowing state game and fish agencies to participate in selecting the scientists who review scientific evidence for listing and delisting species; and,
--Allowing states to participate in the process of listing and delisting species, although states would not have a say in the final decision.
"There's nothing in this set of recommendations that would be inappropriate regardless of what changes are made or, frankly, regardless of whether it's renewed pretty much identical to the way it is," he said.
Freudenthal said he favors eliminating frivolous lawsuits against the federal government's decisions on endangered species but he is not sure how that would be legally implemented.
He also does not favor allowing some species to go extinct.
"I would leave that determination to the scientists," he said.
Freudenthal said he will work to muster support for his ideas but said it usually takes at least a year for ideas to result in policy changes.
