Jonathan Wood, vice president of law and policy at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), said that the ESA Amendments Act of 2025 introduces essential reforms to enhance species recovery and deliver better outcomes for wildlife and people.
"The ESA Amendment Act of 2025 introduces needed reforms to enhance species recovery," said Wood, according to House Committee on Natural Resources. "By giving greater flexibility to the Fish and Wildlife Service in listing decisions, streamlining permitting, and de-weaponizing litigation, we can transform the ESA into a more effective tool for protecting America's wildlife. With only 3% of listed species recovered in 50 years, it's time for a new approach—one that works for both wildlife and people."
According to PERC’s website, Wood holds a law degree from New York University School of Law, a master’s degree in economic policy from the London School of Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Texas. Before joining PERC, he worked as a senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, handling cases involving the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and other federal environmental laws.
In an article published in December 2024 on PERC titled "A Broken NEPA Process Doesn’t Help Conservation," Wood wrote about a case concerning one of the major sources of paperwork: "Last week, the Supreme Court heard a case concerning one of the major sources of such paperwork: the National Environmental Policy Act. Although the law’s purpose is laudable, the court’s interpretation threatens to render an already taxing process totally unworkable."
Wood also noted that "The Biden administration is urging the Supreme Court to uphold its approval of the project, and it deserves credit for rejecting the litigants’ effort to make the NEPA even more burdensome."
