The Committee on Natural Resources has approved an amendment to H.R. 1897, the ESA Amendments Act of 2025, proposed by Congressman Paul Gosar. The amendment aims to revise the Endangered Species Act of 1973 by enhancing Congressional oversight and federalism consultation mandates, as well as assessing the economic impact of ESA designations on local communities.
The amendment requires the Secretary of Interior to inform Congress about any critical habitat designation exceeding 50,000 acres. This notification must include a resource inventory and an evaluation of the economic impact on individuals, local communities, and the nation. Additionally, it mandates an assessment of whether activities like timber harvesting, grazing, or mining would be affected by such designations.
A statement of consultation among federal, regional, state, and local governments is also required under this amendment. Furthermore, similar Congressional notification and compliance are necessary for releasing nonessential experimental populations into areas larger than 50,000 acres. For instance, the Mexican wolf recovery area spans over 98 million acres across Arizona and New Mexico.
The amendment also stipulates that expenditures related to species recovery should be publicly accessible on Data.gov. According to Congressman Gosar's office, this initiative seeks to minimize bureaucratic obstacles and financial burdens on industries while prioritizing evidence-based science.
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