Press Releases

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) re-introduced the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments Act. Original co-sponsors of the bill are Western Caucus Chairman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Executive Vice Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02), Vice Chairs Mark Amodei (NV-02), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Tom Tiffany (WI-07), and Representatives Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Nick Begich (AK-AL), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Mike Ezell (MS-04), and Wesley Hunt (TX-38). 

“The ESA is a favorite tool of activist trial lawyers who want to stop needed projects, bleed taxpayers, and force radical environmental policy,” said Chairman LaMalfa. “At the same time, the ESA has failed at its stated goals, as less than three percent of listed species have recovered. It is clear that the ESA needs wholesale reform to focus on species recovery, and to end its abuse as a slush fund for the radical left. The ESA Amendments Act will make the law better at protecting the rights of landowners while reducing permitting and bureaucratic delays for projects. I thank Chairman Westerman for re-introducing this important legislation.” 

“The Endangered Species Act has consistently failed to achieve its intended goals and has been warped by decades of radical environmental litigation into a weapon instead of a tool,” said Chairman Westerman. “With the reforms we are introducing today, we can look forward to a future where the ESA works to support the continued abundance of America's rich and diverse wildlife.” 

“This bill reforms the Endangered Species Act by prioritizing conservation resources, streamlining the permit process, and incentivizing state and private landowner involvement,” said Vice Chair Hageman. “It codifies scientific data standards, limits critical habitat designations, and sets clear recovery goals for species. This will enhance transparency in decision-making and ensure that federal agencies cannot impose unnecessary mitigation requirements. By clarifying definitions and streamlining processes, we can better manage wildlife populations while respecting the rights of states, Tribes, and private landowners.” 

“I am honored to cosponsor and support the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments Act,” said Vice Chair Hurd. “In the Western Slope, we have experienced firsthand the disastrous introduction of Canadian wolves in our communities. I believe that being good stewards of the environment can coexist with resource development, resource management, and recreation.” 

“It is clear the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has failed in its mission to recover vulnerable species and instead has become weaponized for political activism,” said Vice Chair Newhouse. “The ESA Amendments Act makes vital reforms that work, not only for our species, but for the men and women negatively impacted by outdated and unnecessary regulations and restrictions. I am proud to introduce this legislation alongside Chairman Westerman as we usher in a new era of species recovery and protect America’s rural communities.” 

“After a half century of the Endangered Species Act, one thing is clear—the ESA is broken,” said Vice Chair Stauber. “Minnesotans every day face the consequences of this broken system. Whether it be it the Gray Wolf, the Northern Long-Eared Bat, or other species that have clearly recovered, we have seen there’s virtually no way off the threatened or endangered lists under today’s ESA. I am proud to join Chairman Westerman again this Congress to reintroduce ESA Amendments Act. I stand ready to work with my Western Caucus colleagues and the Trump Administration to finally deliver much-needed ESA reforms during the 119th Congress.” 

“Over fifty years ago, the ESA was created to protect species on the brink of extinction and put them on the path to recovery,” said Vice Chair Tiffany. “However, it’s turned into a statutory Hotel California where species who have scientifically met their recovery goals are never removed. The ESA Amendments Act is necessary to provide long-overdue accountability in the ESA process and remove federal red tape for rural communities to thrive.” 

“The ESA Amendments Act of 2025 delivers commonsense reforms which prioritize conservation efforts where they are needed most - providing opportunities for landowners to participate in species recovery and ensure transparency and accountability in the process,” said Congressman Begich. “For Western states like Alaska, where land and resource management decisions are often decided by federal agencies in D.C., these reforms will return decision-making power to those who know the land best. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation and commend Chairman Westerman for his leadership in advancing practical, commonsense conservation solutions.” 

“Idahoans—not the federal government—are best equipped to manage species and ensure proper recovery goals are reached, all while meeting community needs,” said Representative Fulcher. “I am proud to support the ESA Amendments Act of 2025, legislation that will encourage stronger state collaboration and provide commonsense reforms to the Endangered Species Act.” 

“Since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, the United States has upheld the world’s strongest legislation for species protection,” said Congressman Gosar. “However, for too long, ESA implementation decisions have been made using secretive science and unverified studies, some of which lack proper peer review. Even more troubling, attorneys have profited millions from frivolous lawsuits under the ESA, with little to no accountability for the funds expended. The Endangered Species Act Amendments Act makes critical reforms to the ESA to ensure the success of America’s wildlife.” 

This legislation: 

• Reduces the influence of D.C. and Federal bureaucrats by enabling State and local officials to enact species recovery plans in their own jurisdictions. 

• Establishes objective, incremental species recovery goals that will decrease restrictions as recovery occurs. 

• Blocks environmentalists from suing to downgrade recovered species to endangered in an attempt to maintain severe land use restrictions. 

• Prevents the Secretary of the Interior from designating privately owned or controlled land as critical habitat, protecting landowners’ rights. 

• Creates greater transparency and accountability in recovering listed species. 

• Incentivizes wildlife conservation on private lands. 

This bill originally was a policy proposal from the ESA Working Group co-founded by the Congressional Western Caucus and the House Natural Resources Committee in July 2023. Full bill text can be found here.