The National Association of State Foresters has submitted official comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding its proposed rule on the treatment of “critical habitat” as it pertains to Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation.
NASF has a substantial interest in how ESA provisions are applied and what consequences they have on the ground. NASF ardently supports ESA’s goal of protecting threatened and endangered species. It also supports an updated ESA that encourages greater cooperation, more efficient regulatory processes, and a renewed emphasis on sound science in the management of threatened or endangered species.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Proposed Rule to revise the regulations for designating critical habitat. NASF’s membership recently approved a policy statement, “Improving the Effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act,” which has been submitted along with these comments.
Click below to read the comments in full and/or to access NASF’s 2020 policy statement on Endangered Species Act reform.