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Udall Statement On Trump Move To Undermine Endangered Species Act

Office of US Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)

Commentary: WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, released the following statement on the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act:

“The Trump administration’s determination to dismantle bedrock environmental protections, turn a blind eye to science, and roll over for special interests apparently knows no bounds. Without the Endangered Species Act, the bald eagle, the gray whale, the grizzly bear, and so many other treasured species would likely be extinct and their ecosystems degraded. Now, the Trump administration is seeking to put species up for auction and sell them and their habitats off to the highest bidder.

“Productive reform would focus on increased collaboration and voluntary conservation efforts to head off habitat loss—a proven approach in New Mexico, the West, and across the nation that benefits species and communities and reduces litigation. But instead, these proposed rollbacks would remove long-standing protections, let industry’s cost calculations determine if a species deserves protection, and lead to more costly and needless litigation.

“Once again, the Trump administration is trying to make an end run around Congress and the American people to eviscerate an essential environmental protection on behalf of special interests and anti-environment extremists. I encourage all Americans who care about endangered species and habitat protection to speak out loudly and forcefully against these rules during the public comment period, and I will fight in the Senate to ensure that the administration enforces the law as enacted by Congress.”