The House Resources Committee on Wednesday approved two bills that will revise the Endangered Species Act.

The committee voted 28-14 in favor of H.R.2933, the Critical Habitat Reform Act. The bill makes it harder to designate a critical habit for an endangered or threatened species.

The committee voted 26-15 in favor of H.R.1662, the Sound Science for ESA Planning Act. The bill creates an independent panel to review ESA decisions, such as listing new species.

Some Democrats, including ranking member Rep. Nick J. Rahall II (D-West Virginia), said the bills would weaken protections for species. But some Democrats went along with the changes.

Get the Story:
Panel passes bills easing species law (The Billings Gazette 7/22)
House Panel Approves Species Act Changes (The Washington Post 7/22)
pwpwd

Related Stories:
House panel holds hearing on Endangered Species Act (7/20)
Klamath Basin tribes head to Scotland to fight for fish (07/19)
Appeals court restores flows to Trinity River (07/14)
Tribes to travel to Scotland to make case for fish (07/09)
Appeals court orders release of water for tribe (04/27)
Hoopa Valley Tribe critical of DOI water offer (3/3)
Calif. tribe says water proposal won't help fish (01/23)
Hoopa Valley Tribe gaining allies in river lawsuit (12/04)
Report cites low river flows in Klamath fishkill (11/19)
Students hear of challenges in Klamath Basin (11/18)
Calif. tribe, U.S. reject offer to setter water suit (10/21)
Calif. tribe criticizes water settlement offer (10/17)
Water users offer settlement to Calif. tribe (10/15)
Yurok Tribe presses suit for Klamath fishkill (09/01)
Judge orders changes in Klamath Basin plan (07/18)
Yurok Tribe protesting Klamath Basin management (7/17)
Yurok Tribe protests DOI's water conference (7/11)
Tribes and fishermen fight for Klamath water (06/03)
Interior releases Klamath Basin irrigation plan (04/11)
Klamath River makes group's most endangered list (4/10)
Klamath Basin named endangered place in Calif. (03/05)
Fishkill blamed on Norton water policy (01/07)
Klamath report contradicts economic impact (12/19)
Bush's Klamath review criticized (11/14)
DOI report backs Klamath for fish (11/1)
Klamath suit targets farmers (10/30)
Pressure cited in Klamath water decision (10/29)
Tribes would receive $20M in Klamath aid (10/25)
Yurok Tribe files Klamath lawsuit (10/23)
Norton blamed for Klamath fishkill (10/16)
Tribe protest Klamath water cut-off (10/14)
Yurok Tribe declares fish emergency (10/11)
'Not enough water to go around' (10/7)
DOI takes no blame for Klamath fish kill (10/3)
Time to count dead fish at Klamath (10/1)
Norton reverses decision on Klamath water (9/30)
Tribes estimate 30,000 dead salmon (9/27)
Salmon dying in Klamath River (9/25)
Water woes affect Calif. tribes (8/26)
Calif. tribes still waiting for water (8/22)
Interior sued over river plan (1/10)
Plan would help restore salmon to river (12/20)