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Although the ESA does need work and these bills contain promising components, this is not the direction I recommend. Addressing the corruption in agencies by throwing a bone to the universities will backfire. I promise you.

I think managing habitat for endangered species is a perfectly reasonable land use that the owner should be free to market as a service. Endangered species should be treated economically as the assets that they are with a risk of loss priced actuarially. Census data should be private property as certified by an insured third party. For more information on this proposal, please consider my book: Natural Process: That Environmental Laws May Serve the Laws of Nature.

"Addressing the corruption in agencies by throwing a bone to the universities will backfire. I promise you."

About this there can be no doubt; our universities have little or no intellectual honesty, and ZERO credibility.

The greater wrong would be to do nothing to amend the ESA. The testimony I read from the February 16 Resource Committee meeting had many helpful insights form a variety of people. There were good points brought to light that could be incorporated into HR 2829 and HR 3705.

I don't see the proposed legislation as "throwing a bone to the universities," although their input would be welcomed, I'm sure, if I read the language of the bills correctly.

Some suggestions had to do with land-owner co-operation.

William Rex Amack, Director Nebraska Game and Parks Commission mentioned a program of the USFWS, quote, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service works with private landowners in the conservation and recovery of species by providing technical assistance and through Asafe harbor@ agreements. A safe harbor agreement assures landowners that improving habitat for species will not restrict land-use options on their land in the future. The key to recovery is the cooperation of many partners working together to develop innovative conservation and management actions that benefit the species, while accommodating socioeconomic goals."

There was a wealth of information and viewpoints presented at the March 20th meeting of the House Resource Committee, that could be incorporated into the bills.