PLNR-19-2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES: ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

WHEREAS the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has enjoyed significant public support since its inception in 1973 and benefits a number of wildlife species; and

WHEREAS the presence of federally listed threatened and endangered species impacts both private and public lands; and

WHEREAS the ESA may adversely impact private landowners and local

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Club 20 supports the following principles as related to threatened and endangered species:

• Adequate federal funding for recovery program and subsequent post recovery costs of introduced species.

• Private property and water rights must be protected and just compensation provided to affected parties for any impairment to such rights.

• Species listings must include recovery goals, that will trigger the automatic delisting of the species when met.

• State and local government, and impacted local stakeholder involvement crucial to any listing decision, habitat designation and recovery plan and should be incorporated in all stages of planning by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• State wildlife agencies should be adequately funded and empowered to engage in the management or introduction of any candidate species in collaboration with the affected local governments.

• Agency recommendations should be based upon best available science including state and local sources, have independent scientific peer review, include local stakeholder experience and knowledge, and be available for public review. This includes all subsequent ESA documents including Species Status Assessment, Conservation Action Plan, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and US Forest Service plans.

• Prior to listing a species, and before identification of occupied habitat, a complete  assessment of economic and cultural impacts of the proposed listing (consistent with  National Environmental Policy Act-NEPA) should be made available to the public for review and comment.

• NEPA shall be conducted by federal agencies to evaluate impacts on federal lands for threatened or endangered species introduced on private or state lands. 

• All threats to a species must be identified and addressed in the listing process and recovery plan (e.g. predation, other species use of habitat, natural and man-made habitat degradation, disease).

• Include draft recovery plans in the public review process prior to listing which define the species ‘occupied habitat, historic habitat, and habitat necessary for species recovery

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should include local conservation efforts that result in benefits for a candidate species as positive assurances in recovery plans.

• ESA recovery plans should integrate existing state and local recovery efforts.

• Emphasize incentives that encourage private landowners to participate in the identification and recovery of candidate and listed species (e.g.cash payments, tax benefits, regulatory certainty, and safe harbor agreements 

Incorporates and replaces the following resolutions:

• PLNR-95-4, Endangered Species Act

• PLNR 98-7, ESA Listing of Prairie Dogs

• PLNR 12-2, Southwest Willow Fly Catcher

• PLNR 04-2, Wolf Management in Colorado

• PLNR 99-2, Fish, Endangered Fishes Recovery Program Funding

Adopted 9/21/19

Amended 4/25/25

PDF Version HERE