[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 91 (Thursday, June 24, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          D.R.O.P. SPECIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 1999

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, today I am dropping the fourth in a series 
of single-issue bills to make common sense corrections to the 
Endangered Species Act. My bill, the Direct Review of Protected Species 
Act, would amend the ESA to provide for the review and recommendation 
by the National Academy of Sciences of species that should be removed 
from the list of endangered and threatened species.
  During ESA's 26 years, over 1,154 animals and plants have been listed 
as endangered or threatened, yet only 27 species have been removed from 
the list. 27! That is a recovery rate of 2 percent, which leads me to 
believe that either the Fish and Wildlife Service is not keeping up 
with their mandate to review the list every five years and remove 
recovered species, or their best efforts to conserve habitat at the 
expense of billions of dollars to taxpayers are failing. Either 
conclusion is unacceptable. The DROP Species Act would take the de-
listing process out of the hands of politicians and place it in the 
hands of a well-respected, independent panel of scientists.
  I'm unhappy with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Mr. Speaker. So 
unhappy that I will introduce one ESA reform bill every week until the 
Resources Committee field hearing in California on July 9. The agency 
has a responsibility to balance the rights of species with the rights 
of taxpaying citizens. This is a call to common sense.

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