Author
Jake Li, Peg Romanik, Greg Sheehan, Ramona McGee, Anna Seidman, and Jonathan Wood
Author Bios (long)
Ya-Wei (Jake) Li (moderator) is Director for Biodiversity at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center. Ramona McGee is a Staff Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. Peg Romanik is the Associate Solicitor, Division of Parks and Wildlife, in the Office of the Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Anna Seidman is Director of Legal Advocacy and International Affairs at Safari Club International. Greg Sheehan is Vice President of Asset Management at Blue Diamond Capital and former Principal Deputy Director at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Jonathan Wood is a Research Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center and a Senior Attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation.
Summary
The U.S. Department of the Interior and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently finalized comprehensive changes in how the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is implemented. These changes address the species listing process, critical habitat designations, protections for threatened species, and the §7 consultation process. On August 23, 2019, the Environmental Law Institute hosted an expert panel that highlighted reactions to the changes and explored how they will be implemented, whom they will affect, their impact on state and local agencies, and how they will impact species conservation. This Dialogue is a transcript of the discussion, which has been edited for style, clarity, and space considerations.
