Working Group on Endangered Species Act (ESA) Habitat Issues

Final Report, April 28, 2006

Executive Summary of Final Report, April 28, 2006

Press Release, Final Report

FAQs

Letter to Senators, Working Group Status, February 17, 2006

• Executive Summary of Letter to Senators, The Keystone ESA Working Group on Habitat, February 17. (Full text appears below.)
  
  
• Press Release, The Keystone Center Reports Findings of Endangered Species Act Dialogue

Letter to The Keystone Center from Six Senators, May 18, 2005

Was it worth the effort?

Members of the working group have said:

“I found the discussions to be generally very constructive and characterized by a genuine effort to bridge differences and find common ground. This is rather unusual, in that opinions on this topic have been quite polarized for some time and the various sides in the debate often talk past rather than to each other. Even though we did not fully bridge all our differences, I believe our efforts have focused attention where it should be focused and have provided some very useful clarification of the policy options available. I appreciate the good work The Keystone Center did to bring the discussions to this present stage.”
- Michael J. Bean, Environmental Defense

“In my 20 years working on ESA conflicts for the regulated community, this is the first time the opposing interests have ever sat down to explore win-win options. We found some, and I believe we can find even more if we keep the dialogue alive. I congratulate The Keystone Center for its fine mediation work and I thank all members of the working group for their good faith and open-minded efforts to solve these challenging conflicts.”
- Mark Rutzick, P.C.

“The Keystone process produced the widest ranging and most thorough discussion to date among a diverse group of stakeholders of alternative means, and the difficulties each entails, to establish an enduring ESA habitat solution. I believe the process not only was an exciting and extraordinarily thought-provoking exercise for all of us who participated, but also can serve as a foundation for continued exploration of the themes and issues it identified and developed, as outlined in the letter to the Senate.”
- Stephen Quarles, Crowell & Moring LLP

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