Governor Brad Little issued the following statement today in response to an announcement by the Biden Administration Friday that it will undo years of progress in modernizing the Endangered Species Act under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
“The Biden Administration’s announcement that it intends to undo much of the hard work that has gone into modernizing the application of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a major disappointment.
“Revisions to the ESA and its implementing regulations have been long overdue. Dismantling the progress we’ve made so far will not improve the Act’s effectiveness. It only serves to reinstate unnecessary regulatory burdens on the states and local communities that are most critical to the ESA’s success.
“Idaho has and will continue to advocate for a common-sense application of the ESA that recognizes the fundamental role regulatory flexibility plays in achieving the goals of the Act – by empowering states and local communities to lead the conservation charge to recover listed species.”