NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Ricketts Unveil Bipartisan Legislation to Help Endangered Species Recover Faster

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chairman of the Senate EPW Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, are unveiling bipartisan legislation to improve and modernize the implementation of the Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) species recovery efforts – aiming to make conservation efforts more efficient and standardized, encourage conservation efforts by private landowners, and help endangered species reach recovery. “Protecting the thousands of endangered species and strengthening recovery efforts must be a bipartisan cause – it is a shared responsibility that takes all of us. My new legislation with Senator Ricketts updates the Endangered Species Act to ensure policies that will help species on the verge of extinction survive and recover are implemented efficiently, based on science, and in partnership with private landowners and states. We must all do our part to leave the world a better place than we found it,” said Senator Schiff. “Fifty-three years ago, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act to recover threatened and endangered species. Instead, it has created regulatory barriers that make recovery efforts more difficult. The Improving Species Recovery Act would cut burdensome red tape and modernize the recovery process. It would empower local experts with the resources and certainty they need to de-list species. As Governor, I led boots-on-the-ground efforts to protect our wildlife in Nebraska. This bill would ensure states and private landowners can continue that work more efficiently and effectively,” said Senator Ricketts. The Improving Species Recovery Act modernizes and enhances the recovery framework under the ESA through voluntary partnerships and relationships with private landowners, conservation milestones, clear and standardized demographic metrics, automating its processes with digital technology, and promoting greater collaboration with the states. A centerpiece of the bill is the establishment of conservation milestones to track the progress of species and ensure the government is properly collaborating with private landowners and taking their conservation actions into account. This legislation came about after the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee’s hearing, “Challenges and Opportunities with Implementing the Endangered Species Act ,” where the Senators discussed opportunities to strengthen efforts in promoting species’ recovery. All three hearing witnesses, including both Majority and Minority witnesses, have endorsed the bill, including Defenders of Wildlife, Property and Environment Research Center, and Riley Consulting LLC. The Improving Species Recovery Act would: Incentivize Voluntary Conservation: Encourages private landowners and states to protect species early by establishing clear standards for pre-listing conservation and defining how voluntary efforts influence listing and delisting decisions. Reward Progress with Regulatory Relief: Introduces measurable “conservation milestones” that, once achieved, grant landowners and agencies greater regulatory flexibility and priority access to conservation funding. Improve Data and Transparency: Mandates establishing a clear “baseline status” for species at the time of listing to reduce the risk of painful litigation and requires public reporting every three years to track recovery progress, species trends, and data gaps. Modernize Permitting Approvals: Directs FWS to expand digital tools (like IPaC) and explore AI technology to automate and fast-track interagency consultation and review processes while remaining in compliance with the law. “The Improving Species Recovery Act represents a major step forward for bipartisan improvements to the Endangered Species Act to boost species recovery. Setting clear recovery benchmarks and rewarding progress with gradual regulatory relief is a practical solution to make the ESA work better for wildlife, states, and private landowners. We’re grateful to Senators Schiff and Ricketts for working across the aisle to advance meaningful reforms to recover more species,” said Jonathan Wood, Vice President of Law and Policy, Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). “We applaud Senators Schiff and Ricketts’ effort to pass a thoughtful, bipartisan bill to strengthen the implementation of the Endangered Species Act — our nation’s most effective conservation law responsible for recovering 99% of the species under its protection since its inception,” said Andrew Bowman, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “This legislation is another step forward for endangered species conservation and a model for cross-party collaboration. We hope to see this trend continue.” Background: Schiff continues to work with his colleagues to push for greater resources for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to protect and recover threatened and endangered species and address recent staffing challenges. The full text of the legislation is available here . A section-by-section for the legislation is available here . A one-pager for the legislation is available here . ###