Western Governors Assoc released their report on the Endangered Species Act.

For Washington Ag Today I'm Susan Allen, The Western Governors Assoc released their report on the Endangered Species Act. Ethan Lane, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen's Beef Association Federal Lands, says a top priority of Species Conservation and Endangered Species Act Initiative released by the Western Governor's associations was benchmarked in delisting a species.

ANE: Currently species will languish on the list for a decade or more before a recovery plan, or a benchmark is put in place. The governors are saying with this report that those benchmarks need to be established at the time of listing, that's an argument we've been making for quite some time now and we are really pleased to see it included as a top priority in the governors report.

Washington state ranchers and landowners have been frustrated with the endangered species act because recovery doesn't seem to be a major component of the legislation.

LANE: Currently we have more than 2000 species listed on the endangered species act and a recovery rate of less than 1.4 %. That is absolutely a failing grade and something that can be improved upon, you would think almost in our sleep. Unfortunately massive efforts are going to be taken to improve that and get back to a place where it's just not about restrictions for landowners where we currently exist where these species, almost in sort of..... and I've used this phrase before, are sort of in a roach motel where they check into the endangered species act and never really check out.

So the focus on this report is bringing back accountability to the agencies, so when they put restrictions in place they are measured, and they have to be rescinded when they are recovered. Like the wolf and the grizzly bear or others that have been on the list far past their actual recovery can be removed.