LISTEN: Governor Gordon On Fake Environmentalists

Just so we are on the same page here - when Governor Gordon came on the Wake Up Wyoming program he did not call any person or groups "fake environmentalists." Those were my words. At the same time, he did not disagree with the premise.

I asked Governor Gordon to come on the program to talk about his recent trip to Washington D.C. where he spoke before a committee chaired by Wyoming Senator John Barrasso.

The Governor's goal was to advocate for a more modern Endangered Species Act.

"Members of the committee I come to you today because I believe the Endangered Species Act is broken and there is no scientific reason it shouldn't be fixed," the Governor said.

The Governor spoke about what he saw as improvements proposed in the Endangered Species Acts Amendments of 2020. The idea is to strengthen the role of state wildlife agencies in species management.

He also spoke about delaying judicial reviews of delisting rules during a monitoring period, which comes before delisting a species. The Governor then brought what he sees as the damaging impact of excessive litigation by environmental groups.

“These lawsuits, and the associated investment of money, time, and energy, detract from species recovery and conservation and divert important resources away from species that truly need help,” he said. “The states have proven time and time again they are committed to and capable of managing wildlife within their borders. They should be given the chance to do so for delisted species without the threat of endless and costly lawsuits that in the end do not benefit the species in question.”

The Governor went on to point out that policy through litigation is not a process that makes the situation better.

“The largest barrier to returning the management of fully-recovered species to the states and tribes is litigation,” Gordon said. “These suits, and the associated investment of money, time and energy, detract from species recovery and conservation and divert important resources away from species that truly need help.

The Governor also pointed to the important role private land owners have played and must continue to play.

“Private landowners, ranchers and farmers across our nation have made amazing contributions to wildlife conservation and should be recognized,” Gordon told the committee. “In my state, farmers and ranchers have demonstrated their commitment to wildlife as the ultimate conservationists.”