Endangered Species Act Regulations Ruled Unconstitutional – Vermont Journal of Environmental Law

Endangered Species Act Endangered

On Nov. 5, 2014, a federal district court judge in Utah struck down regulations adopted under the federal Endangered Species Act protecting the Utah prairie dog on private land as an unconstitutional exercise of federal authority under the Commerce Clause (People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners [PETPO] v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)…. Read more »

Source: vjel.vermontlaw.edu

GR:  The Endangered Species Act (ESA) only protects species that have reached critically low numbers.  It does not prevent other species with declining numbers, even when wildlife biologists consider the species imperiled.  The act by this Utah judge would weaken the ESA making it even less useful for protecting nature.  This is a useful baseline article for anyone wanting to follow this case.