WASHINGTON— Republican U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee of Utah introduced legislation this week that would strip federal Endangered Species Act designation for animals and plants. In addition to removing the designation for a prairie dog, the legislation would remove the designation for all 1,098 intrastate species, including 497 species in Hawaii, 234 species in California, 86 species in Florida and 20 species in Utah.
The “Native Species Protection Act,” seeks to overturn a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision from earlier this year that affirmed the federal government’s authority to protect the Utah prairie dog.
In that case, Judge Holmes — a Republican appointee writing for the three-judge panel — concluded that eliminating protections for intrastate species would “leave a gaping hole” and “undercut the conservation purposes” of the Endangered Species Act.”
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said in December that he would like to repeal the Endangered Species Act in its entirety.