Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has commented on a proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to review and revise the regulations of the Endangered Species Act. This proposal aims to align the regulations more closely with the intent of the Act as detailed in a notice in the Federal Register.
The agencies are initiating this change to ensure consistency with the Endangered Species Act. The notice indicates a move towards following the best interpretation of the Act to guide regulatory changes.
“I applaud the commonsense decision to review and revise the Endangered Species Act regulations,” Goehring stated. He outlined the anticipated benefits of the proposed regulations, emphasizing their potential to align with the statute, guard against regulatory overreach, uphold the rights of landowners and state sovereignty, facilitate the use of vital crop protection tools for agricultural producers, and support energy and other developments, all while continuing to protect species that are at risk.
