A new report by Rob Gordon of the Western Caucus Foundation has uncovered discrepancies within the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as the landmark legislation nears its 50th anniversary. The report, published on Dec.13 and titled The Endangered Species Act at 50, exposes serious flaws in the program's claims of species recovery.
According to the report, of the 1,667 species listed as threatened or endangered, only 62 are officially marked as "recovered." However, a staggering 60% of these alleged recoveries are far from being genuine conservation success stories. Instead, they stem from flawed initial assessments or inaccurate data, revealing a persistent pattern of misrepresentation over the years.
Drawing from government data, the report emphasizes that "more than half of these 'recovered' species were erroneously labeled, casting doubt on the credibility of the ESA's reported successes." The report, from the Western Caucus Foundation, highlights instances among species such as the Hawaiian hawk and Bradshaw's lomantium, where initial data errors led to mislabeling these species as 'recovered,' while subsequent assessments revealed discrepancies in population stability and overlooked numbers.
The report underscores that species proposed for delisting as 'recovered' often owe their improved status to "flawed data rather than genuine conservation efforts." This misrepresentation not only distorts the ESA's conservation record but also results in unnecessary bureaucratic actions, leading to regulatory burdens and economic costs, Gordon said.
Gordon, in the report, calls for a critical review of the data and scientific integrity behind the listings and delistings. He also emphasizes the urgent need to modernize the Act to focus on genuinely threatened and endangered species, acknowledging the pressing need for a more effective conservation approach.
The ESA will mark its 50th anniversary on Dec. 28, 2023. The benchmark of success within the ESA lies in the recovery of endangered species, the Western Caucus Foundation reports in an article on its website. Among the species currently proposed for delisting on the basis of recovery, at least five of 12 seem to have experienced improvement, primarily due to initial data inaccuracies, according to the organization.
The Western Caucus Foundation, according to its website, is a non-profit organization that educates law and policymakers about the cultural and policy issues unique to the American West.
