March 24, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – The House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries tomorrow will conduct a legislative hearing tomorrow on four bills, including one intended to modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Endangered Species Act Amendments of 2025 (H.R. 1897) was introduced earlier this month by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.).
“The Endangered Species Act has consistently failed to achieve its intended goals and has been warped by decades of radical environmental litigation into a weapon instead of a tool,” said Rep. Westerman. “With the reforms we are introducing today, we can look forward to a future where the ESA works to support the continued abundance of America’s rich and diverse wildlife.”
H.R. 1897 makes critical reforms to the ESA by establishing clear statutory definitions, focusing on species recovery and streamlining the ESA permitting process. The legislation also provides incentives for the recovery of listed species, promotes accountability for agency actions, and creates a backstop against frivolous litigation.
Mauricio Guardado, the general manager of United Water Conservation District in Ventura County (CALIFORNIA) will testify on behalf of his district in support of H.R. 1897.
CLICK HERE to download Mr. Guardado’s written testimony, which focuses on the costs and delays associated with the status quo and the improvements that H.R. 1897 would provide to stem the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regulatory overreach as it relates to United’s facilities and operations.
The federal government’s significant presence – not only in Ventura County, but throughout the Western U.S. – presents unique challenges for farmers, ranchers and water managers. This is particularly true with respect to the implementation of the ESA, which impacts the management of land and water throughout the West.
“The Family Farm Alliance strongly supports H.R. 1897, which modernizes the ESA and its implementing regulations to provide clearer direction to the federal agencies in applying and enforcing the law,” said Alliance Executive Director Dan Keppen. “We thank Chairman Westerman for his leadership on this important bill.”
CLICK HERE for the Alliance submitted written testimony for the hearing record.
Mr. Guardado also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Family Farm Alliance, although he will represent United at the hearing. His testimony notes that an Alliance subcommittee was established in 2017 to provide detailed recommendations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NMFS on proposed revisions to regulations that implement portions of the ESA.
The Alliance has continued to advocate for those regulatory fixes.
“Many of the important sections of the legislation we are discussing today are similar to those recommendations and the definition of environmental baseline was a top priority,” Mr. Guardado noted in his written testimony.
The hearing begins at 10:15 a.m. (Eastern) tomorrow (March 25) in room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C. CLICK HERE to watch the hearing on YouTube.
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