Date: 5/9/25 1:15 pm From: Ted Ryan via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Proposed weakening of Endangered Species Act
I think politics is precisely the problem. The ESA process is itself political. Biologists (federal and state) and fish and game departments are often well down the list of influencers in the process despite them knowing the most about particular species. You don't need to look further than grizzly bear recovery in the Mountain West states. Montana and Wyoming were denied their petition to reclassify grizzlies in their state. The bears had met recovery objectives under the ESA listing. Very vocal and influential groups have made it impossible for the ESA process to work as it should out of fear they will be hunted. There a many other species that have met recovering objectives but remain listed.
The amount of money and resources that is spent fighting to keep recovered species on the list is a shame. There are species in real trouble that could use those resources. The charismatic mega fauna that have met objectives get all the attention and meanwhile the Vaquita (porpoise) is about to disappear from the face of the earth. The process is broken.
