HOUSE SLOWS ENDANGERED SPECIES ACTION IN LIGHT OF SENATE MOVEMENT

As Endangered Species Act (ESA) reform legislation moves quickly through the Senate ( see related story ), action by the House is much less certain. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne (R-Idaho), a key member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has drafted a bill that would give EPA and other federal agencies the authority to do "self consultations" ( see related story ). Under current law, federal agencies are required to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)...