Wisconsin Attorney General Joins Lawsuit Challenging Rollback of Endangered Species Act
Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019 -- 7:37 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is joining a coalition of 20 attorneys general and the City of New York in a lawsuit challenging the current Administration's rollback of the Endangered Species Act.The suit argues that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service's decisions to finalize three rules that undermine the key requirements and purpose of the ESA are unlawful. Since 1973, the ESA has protected thousands of iconic and threatened species, including the bald eagle and whooping crane. But Kaul feels the new rules would dramatically weaken current protections and reduce federal enforcement and consultation.
Meanwhile, U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has defended the President’s policies, saying the ESA has become overly restrictive. The law has also come under attack by farmers who say the protection of the gray wolf leaves their livestock vulnerable to attack. In Wisconsin, there are more than 20 species listed as endangered or threatened under the Act.
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