NESARC -- National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition -- How NESARC Got Started

"Working to Improve
and Update the ESA"

Learn About the ESA

. How NESARC Got Started

. NESARC grew out of a grassroots meeting of companies, trade associations, and municipalities held a year before the ESA was set to expire in September 1992. These groups recognized an opportunity, and a necessity, to work collectively to ensure that improvements were made to the ESA when the Act was reauthorized by Congress.
Early Victories
In 1993, Congressmen Billy Tauzin (D-LA) and Jack Fields (R-TX) introduced H.R. 1490, the Endangered Species Act Procedural Reform Amendments, to the applause of NESARC and its members. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate later that year by. These bills marked the legislative starting point for the effort to modernize the ESA. They also served as a counterbalance to an effort spearheaded by the environmental community to force a quick reauthorization of the ESA with changes that would have made the law even more restrictive. By the time the 103rd Congress adjourned in 1994, more than 110 Members of Congress had cosponsored the Tauzin/Fields legislation, besting the 95 cosponsors on the bill supported by the environmental community. At a time when the Democrats enjoyed an eighty-two seat advantage in the House and a twelve seat advantage in the Senate, this show of strength by the supporters of balanced reform was both impressive and necessary. It demonstrated that the needs of the nation's landowners, and others who depend on the nation's resources, would not be ignored.
NESARC's pressure for ESA reform also helped force the Clinton Administration to make its largest ESA concession. On August 11, 1994, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced the creation of the Administration's "No Surprises" and "Safe Harbors" policies.
1995 to 1999 - NESARC Comes of Age
NESARC and its members testified before Congress dozens of times. We supported, through lobbying and grassroots involvement, a 1995 effort to halt all listings of species until the Act was reauthorized. This listing moratorium remained in effect for nearly a year.
The Clinton Administration also was forced to make more concessions. In February 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that it would "reconfigure" the candidate species program, shrinking the candidate species rolls from 4,000 to roughly 400. This wholly cosmetic change came as NESARC continued to highlight the huge number of species that potentially could be listed under the ESA. And in May 1998, the FWS announced the establishment of new listing priority guidelines, for the first time giving down-listing and delisting activities the same priority as efforts to expand the number of species listed under the ESA
Finally, the Coalition raised its profile in the media significantly by hosting press conferences, promoting polls that demonstrated public support for ESA reform, circulating and publicizing the results of congressional candidate questionnaires, and cosponsoring advertisements with like-minded organizations.
Into the 21st Century
Pressure to update the ESA is building every day.
We've learned too much over the past quarter century to allow such a pervasive law to just keep clunking along when there are common sense improvements that can be made. Codifying the Clinton Administration's "No Surprises" policy, increasing the role of state and local governments, increasing public input, ensuring the use of the best possible science, and improving the recovery planning and implementation processes are all modifications that we urgently need.
But congressional action, particularly on an issue of this magnitude, does not occur in a vacuum. Even with growing bipartisan support, quick action is never guaranteed. The National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition is building its membership so that it has the financial and political strength to make ESA reform a reality. We invite you to join us in our work.

.

.	How NESARC Got Started
.	NESARC grew out of a grassroots meeting of companies, trade associations, and municipalities held a year before the ESA was set to expire in September 1992. These groups recognized an opportunity, and a necessity, to work collectively to ensure that improvements were made to the ESA when the Act was reauthorized by Congress. Early Victories In 1993, Congressmen Billy Tauzin (D-LA) and Jack Fields (R-TX) introduced H.R. 1490, the Endangered Species Act Procedural Reform Amendments, to the applause of NESARC and its members. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate later that year by. These bills marked the legislative starting point for the effort to modernize the ESA. They also served as a counterbalance to an effort spearheaded by the environmental community to force a quick reauthorization of the ESA with changes that would have made the law even more restrictive. By the time the 103rd Congress adjourned in 1994, more than 110 Members of Congress had cosponsored the Tauzin/Fields legislation, besting the 95 cosponsors on the bill supported by the environmental community. At a time when the Democrats enjoyed an eighty-two seat advantage in the House and a twelve seat advantage in the Senate, this show of strength by the supporters of balanced reform was both impressive and necessary. It demonstrated that the needs of the nation's landowners, and others who depend on the nation's resources, would not be ignored. NESARC's pressure for ESA reform also helped force the Clinton Administration to make its largest ESA concession. On August 11, 1994, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced the creation of the Administration's "No Surprises" and "Safe Harbors" policies. 1995 to 1999 - NESARC Comes of Age NESARC and its members testified before Congress dozens of times. We supported, through lobbying and grassroots involvement, a 1995 effort to halt all listings of species until the Act was reauthorized. This listing moratorium remained in effect for nearly a year. The Clinton Administration also was forced to make more concessions. In February 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that it would "reconfigure" the candidate species program, shrinking the candidate species rolls from 4,000 to roughly 400. This wholly cosmetic change came as NESARC continued to highlight the huge number of species that potentially could be listed under the ESA. And in May 1998, the FWS announced the establishment of new listing priority guidelines, for the first time giving down-listing and delisting activities the same priority as efforts to expand the number of species listed under the ESA Finally, the Coalition raised its profile in the media significantly by hosting press conferences, promoting polls that demonstrated public support for ESA reform, circulating and publicizing the results of congressional candidate questionnaires, and cosponsoring advertisements with like-minded organizations. Into the 21st Century Pressure to update the ESA is building every day. We've learned too much over the past quarter century to allow such a pervasive law to just keep clunking along when there are common sense improvements that can be made. Codifying the Clinton Administration's "No Surprises" policy, increasing the role of state and local governments, increasing public input, ensuring the use of the best possible science, and improving the recovery planning and implementation processes are all modifications that we urgently need. But congressional action, particularly on an issue of this magnitude, does not occur in a vacuum. Even with growing bipartisan support, quick action is never guaranteed. The National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition is building its membership so that it has the financial and political strength to make ESA reform a reality. We invite you to join us in our work.
.