VIDEO: Ricketts on Valentine Wildlife Refuge, Improving Endangered Species Recovery Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, in an Environment and Public Works Senate Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted the reopening of grazing access in the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.  Ricketts worked with the Trump Administration on this effort to support wildfire recovery efforts in Nebraska.  

“We’ve had the most fire damage in the state’s history, over a million acres were burned. Everything we can do to be able to help out our ranchers recover is greatly appreciated,” said Ricketts. 

Ricketts also discussed the need to improve recovery efforts through the Endangered Species Act (ESA). He noted that while some species have recovered, many other recovery plans such as the pallid sturgeon’s have led to regulations without results. 

“As Chairman of the Water, Fisheries and Wildlife Subcommittee, I hosted a hearing on ESA and found that a greater focus on species recovery and transparency is critical to reforming a law that has too often failed to meet its conservation objectives,” said Ricketts.  “Since the ESA was enacted in 1973, only 57 of the more than 1,700 listed species have been delisted. That’s roughly 3% of the species ever listed as endangered or threatened that have been recovered.  That does not sound like a very successful recovery metric to me, and really encourages us to take a look at the programs and see what we can do to improve the rate of recovery among species.”

Ricketts also encouraged U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to increase transparency regarding endangered species, specifically for landowners.

Watch the video here.

Ricketts’ comments were made in a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing: “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.” The witness was Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Brain Nesvik.