Flashback - Is it Time to Amend The Endangered Species Act? | David Wilmms

Ashlee Smith (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:05)

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Ashlee Smith (0:49)

Hi everyone. This is Ashlee Smith with The Origins Foundation. Thanks for listening. Robbie's out of pocket traveling overseas this week and I'm traveling as well.

So we're throwing it back this week to an episode we recorded about a year ago with David Wilms talking about the Endangered Species Act. There has been a lot of activity in the last couple of months with administrative changes to the Endangered Species Act. They are all very controversial and you can read the news stories about them. And because of all of this activity, we thought it was worth revisiting the episode where we talked to constitutional law scholar and Endangered Species Act expert, David Wilms, who operates out of Wyoming and works for the National Wildlife Federation. He has written books on the Endangered Species Act and he is considered truly an expert on this topic. So please enjoy. We hope it gives you insight into this very, very interesting and timely issue.

SPEAKER_3 (1:51)

So five years ago, there was a reason why I started this movement. And the truth then is the truth now, that we need to champion our narrative. We need to champion the truth around what we do and who we are.

SPEAKER_2 (2:03)

There's a sweet spot with a gun.

Ashlee Smith (2:04)

You know, too heavy and it's a burden to walk with.

SPEAKER_4 (2:08)

Too light and you're whipping it.

SPEAKER_3 (2:10)

Why is the project so important to the hunting community?

David Willms (2:13)

It's a, I think it's not only important, I think it's vital. I think it's just in time.

SPEAKER_4 (2:19)

It's like snakes and ladders. You guys are climbing the ladder and then somebody does something stupid and you just slide down.

SPEAKER_3 (2:25)

That is such an amazing analogy, snakes and ladders.

SPEAKER_4 (2:29)

You know, ivory, in my opinion, was the plastic of its age, okay? Expensive going up, it goes a long way with families.

Ashlee Smith (2:37)

We are families that do need it.

SPEAKER_3 (2:39)

Let me close this door because I have a little wiener dog.

Ashlee Smith (2:41)

What?

SPEAKER_3 (2:42)

Are you laughing because I said wiener?

David Willms (2:44)

I'm really glad you finished the sentence out. I'm sorry, it was the first half.

SPEAKER_2 (2:50)

What are we doing here today?

Ashlee Smith (2:58)

Okay. So we are here today. I have a really great person who I want to introduce you guys to talk to about a pretty wonky subject.

I say wonky, but this is a timely topic. You are hearing it in the news all of the time. I've got Professor David Wilms on with me. Many of you have probably, if you read and listen to the same types of things that we do, wildlife, sportsman's issues, environmental issues, you have definitely heard David's name before because he would never tell you this, but I'm going to tell you this.

If you ask around enough, you are going to repeatedly hear that David Wilms is an expert on all things ESA.

So David is the Associate Vice President of Public Lands for the National Wildlife Federation, which is an NGO that I know very, very well and have a great amount of respect for, being one of the former CEOs of the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. Still work with them. They do amazing, amazing work across North America. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wyoming, Hobbs School of Environment and Natural Resources up in Wyoming. So I have a tremendous amount of respect for David. David is also just a really cool guy. So you would not think he would be so, so smart and so, so cool, but he also is. He's a hunter and he has delved into these issues for decades. Although he looks a lot younger than someone who would have been involved in these issues for so long. So David and I are both attorneys. So we will try not to talk like attorneys today because there's a lot going on right now at the ESA. So I'm going to ask David to talk about both the history of the ESA and kind of what led to its introduction 50 years ago because it's been 50 years now. Then this brand, brand, brand new bill that has been introduced. It was introduced on March 6th by Chairman Bruce Westerman, the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. He was joined by a number of co-sponsors on the Natural Resources Committee from all across the country, different areas in the country, North, South, East, West, and what this amendment, this ESA Amendments Act entail. So David, welcome.