Endangered species act update. (Legislative UPDATE).

There are several bills to update the Endangered Species Act of 1973 on the House and Senate floors. Two of these are as follows:

Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2001 (S.911)

* Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to use observed, field-tested, and/or peer-reviewed data in determining the addition of species to the endangered or threatened lists.

* Dictates that specific minimum documentation is required to change the status of a species, that upon request at least one public hearing be held in each State affected by this change, and that public information be provided regarding the reason for this change.

* Provides guidelines and schedules by which the Secretary is to abide in creating and executing endangered/threatened species recovery plans.

* Commands Federal agencies to keep inventory of endangered and threatened species on agency lands and waters and to comply with certain requirements prior to engaging in any activity that could effect these species.

* Permits the Secretary to make contracts with non-Federal parties to adjust habitats to benefit endangered or threatened species.

Endangered Species Criminal and Civil Penalties Liability Reform Act (H.R. 1404)

* Declares a person exempt of liability for any environmental criminal or civil infraction, assuming the action otherwise lawful and that it is not ended within 30 days of notice.

* Affirms that it is a legitimate defense, in a case where a defendant did not respect an endangered or threatened species, that the defendant did not know, nor could reasonably have known, that the indicated species was endangered or threatened.

* Permits the Secretary to enter into arrangements with and grant up to $10,000 to non-Federal persons for the creation, restoration, or enhancement of that benefit endangered or threatened species.

Source: Library of Congress, Thomas. http://thomas.loc.gov/