[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1304-E1305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 1999

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was 
well-intentioned legislation. But the Fish and Wildlife Service, 
especially in California, is working outside of the ESA and undermining 
its original intent.
  Today, I am dropping the third in a series of single-issue bills to 
make common sense corrections to the ESA. My bill would prohibit the 
use of any information obtained by trespassing on privately owned 
property without the consent of the owner. This bill would restrict 
Fish and Wildlife from using any information that was illegally 
obtained to declare habitat or otherwise administer the Endangered 
Species Act.
  It is common sense that trespassing is illegal. We all know that. Yet 
I continue to hear, over and over, that Fish and Wildlife is using 
information that was questionably obtained to administer the ESA. Mr. 
Speaker, the Fish and Wildlife Service is not above the law. While Fish 
and Wildlife employees may or may not be the ones doing the actual 
trespassing, they have continually shown a disregard for how 
information was obtained, thereby encouraging trespassing.

[[Page E1305]]

  In May, the Resources Committee held a hearing with community 
officials and landowners to outline the problems they are having with 
Fish and Wildlife's implementation of the ESA. Every member of Congress 
needs to sit up and take notice and talk to their local officials. This 
is not just a problem in California, but in places as far east as North 
Carolina and as far north as Washington.
  I'm frustrated, Mr. Speaker. So frustrated that I will introduce one 
ESA reform bill every week until the field hearing on July 9. This is a 
call to common sense.

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