ESA Policy Briefing

Agenda December 7, 2004, 2 pm- 5 pm

406 Dirksen Senate Building

I. Welcome – Greg Schildwachter

II. Overview of Endangered Species Act Workshops – Joe Robson, NCHE President

III. Land Owner Incentives – Moderator, Doug Wheeler, Hogan and Hartsen

a. Panelists: John Kostyack, National Wildlife Federation; Rick Kraus, American Farm Bureau; Chris Galick, NAHB; Drue DeBerry, American Forest Foundation

b. Recommendations concerning:

i. Improving HCPs for small landowners.

ii. Making information about incentives more accessible.

iii. Codifying recent incentive policies.

IV. Role of the States – Moderator, Buzz Thompson, Stanford Law School

a. Panelists: Jamie Rappaport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife; Joel Harris, Western Governors Association; Virginia Albrecht, Hunton & Williams

b. Recommendations concerning:

i. Recovery plans and their implementation.

ii. Listing and de-listing decisions.

iii. Funding of state wildlife conservation plans.

V. Recovery – Moderator, Dale Goble, Univeristy of Idaho Law School

a. Panelists: Michael Bean, Environmental Defense; Michael Scott, University of Idaho; Steve Quarles

b. Recommendations concerning:

i. New mechanisms to improve the implementation of recovery plans.

ii. Improving the quality of information in the biennial reports to Congress.

iii. Mechanisms to deal with “conservation reliant” species.

VI. Conclusions – Doug Wheeler, Buzz Thompson, Dale Goble