[WhiteyAppleseed]

There is legislation in the House (HR2829 & HR 3705) that is aimed at reforming the Endangered Species Act. The House "Resource" Committee held some hearings on the legislation--February in Nebraska, and March in D.C. There is quite a bit of info there in the record. The legislation seeks to put science into the enforcement of the ESA and take the political science out of it. There is even mention of a "Science Court," an interesting and frightening concept. It would be nice if we could generate enough interest in reforming the ESA.

[SEVENCROSS]

The prarie dog is not currently on the list of candidate species because there are other species that are presently in greater need of listing.

The prarie dog is "warranted but precluded" which means that there is enough scientific info. available for the Service to list the species, but that there are other species that are in greater jeopardy and in need of the protections of the ESA that need to be listed first.