Pfluger Reintroduces Bill to Stop Radical Environmentalists from Crippling Industry

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman August Pfluger of San Angelo (TX-11) reintroduced The Listing Reform Act Tuesday, a bill to modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and prevent the ESA from being used as a weapon against America’s critical agriculture and energy industries. The bill is supported by the Texas Farm Bureau, Permian Basin Petroleum Association, and Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.

Pfluger said: “The Biden Administration and radical environmental groups are using the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a weapon against our critical agriculture and energy industries. We are seeing this play out in real-time with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s recent decision to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)—a move that will have a disastrous impact on American energy and agriculture production. My legislation reforms the ESA to deliver reasonable, common-sense protections for endangered species while preventing overbearing regulations coming from Washington, DC. Notably, the bill also requires the federal government to analyze the actual costs that ESA listings impose on our communities and critical industries. We can protect important species without devastating our local and rural economies.”

“Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) appreciates Congressman August Pfluger for introducing the Listing Reform Act, which creates commonsense solutions to streamline the Endangered Species Act,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said. “Easing regulatory burdens on farmers, ranchers and landowners has long been a priority for Farm Bureau, and we are proud Congressman Pfluger is working to help achieve this critically important goal. TFB looks forward to working with him and other leaders of Congress to pass this legislation.”

Ben Shepperd, Permian Basin Petroleum Association (PBPA) President said: “Congress has to rein in a multitude of federal agencies’ efforts to expand their authority beyond their limited scope.  However, perhaps no single act has been abused to harass oil and gas exploration, agricultural production, and livestock raising more than the Endangered Species Act. Those who work the land were the first conservationists. We are all committed to protecting species and have successfully demonstrated through voluntary conservation plans that we can protect these species and their habitats through private and state government led action. We support reforms to ensure that our successful efforts can continue but not at the expense of the fuel, food, and fiber that America and her allies need. We thank Congressman Pfluger for this effort.”

We appreciate Representative Pfluger reintroducing the List Reform Act,” said Kody Bessent, Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. chief executive officer. “This bill would modify requirements concerning the review of petitions to add a species to the list of endangered or threatened species or to remove a species from the list. Arbitrarily reviewing a petition to list a species simply based on when a petition was received, as compared to a more thorough analysis based on sound science, has in times past impacted a producer's ability to produce a crop based on cropping practices that are agronomically sound for a specific region. Therefore, we support modifications for a more thorough review of the listing process and look forward to working with Representative Pfluger and others on this important issue.”