3-28-17 PLF Takes On the ESA TODAY!

PLF expert will testify to House panel on ESA
impediments to development

Washington, D.C.; March 27, 2017: This morning, Tuesday, March 28, Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Jonathan Wood will testify before a House subcommittee about the Endangered Species Act and the disruptive impact that its cumbersome “consultation” requirements can have on development and public safety projects.

Conducted by the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the hearing is titled, “Oversight Hearing on ESA Consultation Impediments to Economic and Infrastructure Development.”

Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, chairs the subcommittee and will oversee the hearing. The chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources is Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah.

The hearing will take place at 10:00 a.m. EDT in room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building. It will bewebcast here.

Under the ESA, no project that might impact a listed species and requires federal permitting or funding may go forward until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is consulted regarding those potential impacts. This process can substantially delay economic development and public safety infrastructure projects.

Wood is an ESA expert who specializes in environmental litigation. “The scope of the problem is directly tied to the size of the federal government,” he explained testerday, in remarks previewing his testimony today. “As the scope of the federal government’s involvement in regulating and permitting activities expands, more projects must undergo consultation, increasing demands on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s resources, and generally slowing everything down. For many of these projects, delays can be extremely disruptive or harmful. Consultation has delayed improvements to unsafe roads and maintenance of bridges and dams, and has pushed weather-sensitive projects back by a year or more.”

Wood’s testimony, which he has submitted in written form prior to the hearing, is available here.

About Our Sponsor, Pacific Legal Foundation

Pacific Legal Foundation, America’s most powerful ally for justice, litigates in courts nationwide for limited government, property rights, individual liberty, and a balanced approach to environmental regulations. PLF represents all clients free of charge.

Contact:	Jonathan Wood	Kate Pomeroy
	Attorney	Media Director – DC Center
	Pacific Legal Foundation	Pacific Legal Foundation
	jw@pacificlegal.org	kap@pacificlegal.org
	(703) 647-4119	(202) 465-8733

About the Author: wpnorthern

Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a Commissioner Emeritus of NARUC, NARUC's Official Representative to IOGCC and Vice Chairman of NARUC's Gas Committee. He served as Gas Committee Chairman of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners. He also served as commissioner of the Anchorage Bicentennial Commission and the Anchorage Heritage Land Bank Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree: English, at Colorado State University, a Master of Science Degree: Communications-Journalism at Murray State University and graduated from Utility Regulatory School for Commissioners at Michigan State University. He served as a Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at Alaska Pacific University, taught bank marketing classes at the University of Alaska and was an English teacher at Los Alamos High School. Harbour served in ranks of Private - Captain during a 4-year assignment with the Army in Korea, Idaho, Georgia and Fort Meade and received the Meritorious Service Medal among other commendations. Harbour is also a past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, the Alaska Oil & Gas Association Government Affairs Committee, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Export Council of Alaska and the Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He is a past President of the Alaska Press Club, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Consumer Energy Alliance-Alaska and Common Sense for Alaska. Harbour was instrumental in founding the American Bald Eagle Research Institute (UAS), the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Downtown Anchorage Business Partnership, and Arctic Power. He also served as CEO of several small Alaska organizations, including the Anchorage Parking Authority and Action Security, Inc. Harbour is also Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour's wife, Nancy, is a professional, performing arts administrator and his three boys, Todd, Benjamin and William work in the fields of environmental management, energy marketing and medicine.