Oppose HB1897 — ESA Amendments Act Weakens Species Protections

Vote no on HB1897, the ESA Amendments Act of 2025. This bill guts core protections under the Endangered Species Act by eliminating mitigation requirements, exempting incidental take permits from NEPA review, and replacing science-driven listing decisions with a priority system that could leave imperiled species waiting for protection based on resource allocation rather than biological urgency. The practical consequences are serious. Limiting Section 7 consultation to 10-year windows reduces federal oversight of ongoing activities that harm listed species. Stripping mitigation requirements from reasonable and prudent measures means federal agencies can proceed with damaging projects without offsetting the harm. And handing conservation agreement administration to private parties — with regulatory assurances that shield them from future restrictions — creates a clear incentive to game the system before species are listed at all. The ESA has recovered species from the brink for over 50 years. HB1897 trades that proven framework for voluntary agreements and streamlined permitting that benefit developers and resource extraction industries at the direct expense of wildlife. Please oppose this bill.