The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council announced strong support for the ESA Amendments Act of 2024. This legislation would reform the Endangered Species Act to provide more timely conservation efforts on America’s rangeland. “For too long, the Endangered Species Act has been weaponized to list species under non-science-based criteria to the detriment of real conservation,” says NCBA President Mark Eisele.
“Farmers and ranchers have witnessed the harm that comes from politically-motivated species listings and the dangers that come from recovered predators that become a direct threat to producers’ personal safety and economic success.” Drovers also says this bill will make the ESA a real tool for conservation, foster transparency and accountability, and ensure that the environmental contributions from farmers and ranchers are properly recognized. As the ESA has had its scope widened over the years, it is now coming in direct conflict with established science on wildlife conservation.