FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on Endangered Species Habitat Rules

Original title: OVERSIGHT HEARING ON RECENT CHANGES TO ENDANGERED SPECIES CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

January 1, 2016

Endangered Species Act Critical Habitat Environmental Policy Land Use Federal Oversight

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing reviewed the regulatory processes that determine how land is restricted or managed to protect endangered species, which directly impacts private landowners, local governments, and conservation organizations.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Private Landowners

Landowners may face restrictions on land use if their property is designated as critical habitat.

Local Governments

Local jurisdictions may be impacted by federal land management decisions that affect regional economic development and resource use.

Conservation Organizations

These groups advocate for or against specific habitat designations based on their impact on species recovery.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Natural Resources held an on April 19, 2016, to examine recent changes to how the federal government designates and implements '' for endangered species. The hearing featured testimony from government officials, legal experts, and representatives from agricultural and conservation groups.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on April 19, 2016, in the Longworth House Office Building.
The committee reviewed the implementation of the Endangered Species Act regarding critical habitat designations.
Witnesses included representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legal counsel, local government administration, and environmental advocacy groups.
The hearing was conducted under the 114th Congress, Second Session.
Opening statements were limited to the Chair, Ranking Member, Vice Chair, and a designee of the Ranking Member per Committee Rule 4(f).

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'critical habitat' designation?

It is a specific geographic area identified by the federal government as essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species.

Why was this hearing held?

To provide congressional oversight on recent changes to how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designates and manages these protected areas.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Habitat Implementation

The hearing highlights a shift in congressional focus toward the administrative implementation of habitat designations rather than just the listing of species.

U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Connected Entities

personRob Bishop“Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources”Map →

personDan Ashe“Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service”Map →

personRaul M. Grijalva“Ranking Democratic Member of the Committee”Map →

organizationU.S. House Committee on Natural Resources“The committee conducting the oversight hearing”Map →

personDavid L. Bernhardt“Former Solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior”Map →

personLoyal Mehrhoff“Endangered Species Recovery Director at the Center for Biological Diversity”Map →

personKaren Budd-Falen“Senior Partner at Budd-Falen Law Offices, LLC”Map →

personRobbie LeValley“Administrator of Delta County, Colorado”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy50
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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