States Defying the Federal ESA: Bad Science and Bad Politics
Once near extinction, bison, our National Mammal, are now a common sight in parts of the Rocky Mountain west. (Diana Mallard)
NFC Executive Director Bob Mallard looks at what states are doing in regard to supporting, or not, the federal ESA. While most states are stepping up, unfortunately, some are not. The case study is Maine, which stubbornly refuses to list critically imperiled Atlantic salmon as Endangered, or even Threatened, at the state level.
“Thirty-six states (or 72%) mandate state-level listing of all federally listed species found in their state, and at the same level or higher. Four other states have statutes that say state listing of federally listed species is “recommended” or “highly recommended.” Only 10 states – Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming – do not require, or even recommend, listing federally-listed species at the state level. And to be fair, in the case of Alaska, California and Colorado, most federally-listed species are listed at the state level.”
“Unfortunately, membership in Maine’s two state-level ESA programs is by invite only, and at the whim of state bureaucrats and legislators.”
