Volume 4, Issue 7, February 16, 2004

STRAIGHT TALK WITH SAM

Common Sense and the Endangered Species Act

(If you are looking for a little common sense, you best not visit Washington D.C. Like many of you, I am just shocked on how common sense gets lost in the bureaucracy of Washington. Unfortunately, this lack of common sense has ramifications that extend all the way to Missouri. This month, I am going to be chairing a hearing in the Sixth District about the Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act was created with the purpose of recovering species threatened by extinction. When the Endangered Species Act became law 30 years ago, a little more than 100 species were added to a list of species as threatened by extinction. Now, 30 years later, nearly 1,300 species are endangered or threatened. Like most government programs, this program continues to grow while showing a terrible track record.

The government has bullied private landowners to protect ferns, snails, and beetles. In Missouri's case, the pallid sturgeon and least tern are causing landowners a lot of trouble. Instead of working with private landowners, the government feels that pushing people around is the best way to achieve its goal of recovering species. So let's look at the government's record of "success."

Out of the nearly 1300 species ever listed, only 15 have ever been recovered. That is about a one percent success rate. I don't ever remember taking a test in school where getting a 1 percent was considered passing. The Endangered Species Act is failing because its resources are stretched too thin. The best way to get species off this list is not by adding more species to the list. Like all of us, the government needs to prioritize and focus its resources on achieving its goal. The Endangered Species Act also needs to be reformed to protect the rights of landowners. We must place the concerns of people over the concerns of animals. We can achieve a healthy environment without resorting to bullying tactics. It's time we bring some common sense to Washington.