Ridecamp: [RC] Exempts private property, military lands and all plant lifefrom ESA (fwd)

For Your Consideration
>From Jerry Fruth
AERC Trails Committee Chairman

Tuesday, November 12, 2002
Hansen Files Landmark Bill to Restore Original
Intent of ESA
Exempts private property, military lands and all plant life from ESA
Retiring House Resources Chairman James V. Hansen today filed a bill
that  would exempt military lands, private property and all plant 
life from the Endangered Species Act.
Hansen called the bill "a shot across the bow from a retiring
 chairman"  and  a blueprint for bold changes that reflect what 
Congress originally intended when it passed the law more than 30 
years ago. "I'm just greasing the wheels
for change here, giving my colleagues something they can act on
 swiftly  in the next Congress," Hansen said.
Growing problems with the ESA cost consumers and taxpayers more than
a  billion a year in litigation, lost profits, lost jobs and rising
operating  costs for both government and business, according to 
estimates from private  groups.
 In some instances, private property owners can't walk their own
 property.
Some military bases can't use their own land for mission-critical
training  at a time when America is on the verge of war.
 Chairman Hansen's statement:
 "After working with this law during my 22 years in Congress, I've
 concluded it's the most powerful law in the land. It can be used to 
thwart  everything  from the training of our fighter pilots to the 
farmer's simple desire to plant a crop in his field so he can feed 
his family.
 "Right now, in this country, the rights of an endangered fly or a
 species of  seaweed take precedence over national security, commerce 
and many  people's right to the enjoyment of property and the pursuit 
of happiness.
"Our founding fathers would be appalled.  This government was founded
on a  few key concepts, among them the need to provide a common 
defense and  the  protection of individual property rights. These 
days, ESA is tripping up even that.  This legislation moves the 
federal government in the direction of working cooperatively with 
private landowners.  Under current law, the only option to protect 
endangered species is legal confrontation.
 "Congress crafted this law nearly 40 years ago to protect large
 species like  the grizzly, wolf and bald eagle from extinction. 
Frankly, the ESA  hasn't  done a particularly good job of protecting 
anything but lawyers pocketbooks. Outlawing DDT did more for our 
wildlife than the ESA has  done.
"Meanwhile roads have been stalled, homes lost, countless jobs
 forfeited and  thousands of acres locked up because of this ham-
fisted law.
Republicans and Democrats have long recognized that something needs 
to be done to fix the Endangered Species Act. I'm just making it easy 
for everybody next year by dropping a bill now with the three simple 
changes that could fix this law.
"If we exempt private property, military lands and all plants from
 the ESA,we would, in short order, have a more prosperous and secure 
nation  and still  have a healthy and abundant wildlife. We would 
create thousands of jobs, jump-start our economy, free up our clogged 
court system and still protect our wildlife.
 I'd wager my federal pension you could make these changes and the
populations of threatened and endangered species would remain the
 same.
 The  numbers didn't improve when we started stripping people of their
rights. I doubt they'll go down any once we restore those rights."


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the Director at Large 
 and By Laws Elections.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=