CRAPO TO ATTEND FIRST ESA FIELD HEARING

Washington, DC â?? Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will be a part of the first Congressional field hearing this year on renewed efforts to improve the Endangered Species Act. The hearing, tomorrow, Saturday, April 30th, will be held in Jackson, Mississippi. It is an outgrowth of the effort announced last February in Washington, DC to find consensus for ESA improvements. Crapo, Senator Lincoln Chaffee (R-Rhode Island and Chairman of the Senateâ??s ESA subcommittee), Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California and Chairman of the House Resources Committee) and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon) announced the effort. Crapo and Pombo will attend the first ESA field hearing tomorrow. â??To guarantee that we can mobilize recovery efforts for all the most endangered species, we must make this hearing our first step toward breaking many years of gridlock on this issue,â?? Crapo said in remarks prepared for the hearing. â??We all understand that ESA is a powerful law: one that touches both our property and our wildlife, both of which are precious.â??Crapo says improving habitat conservation and recovery, providing more and better incentives for landowners, and enhancing the role of states where appropriate are among the goals of the ESA effort.Crapo is available for interviews before and after the hearing and video will be available. Contact Lindsay Nothern (208) 870-1800 or Susan Wheeler (703) 629-9675 for more information or to contact Senator Crapo.Congressional Field Hearing â?? ESA ImprovementsSaturday, 9:00 a.m, --12:00 Noon Eastern Daylight TimeNatural Science Museum, LeFleur Bluff State Park Jackson, Mississippi# # #