Striking Appropriate Balance with the
Endangered Species Coordination Act
An Op-Ed by Senator Richard Alloway As an avid sportsman and conservationist, I find the rhetoric surrounding opposition to Senate Bill 1047 and House Bill 1576, known as the Endangered Species Coordination Act, both disappointing and disingenuous. Protection of Pennsylvania's most vulnerable species and preservation of the habitats that sustain them is one of the core functions of three Pennsylvania state agencies-the Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). These agencies effectively protect the Commonwealth's threatened and endangered species, and they are undoubtedly the best equipped to continue to fulfill this critical charge. This legislation would not change that, rather it would simply establish a consistent, transparent and accountable framework for doing so. SB 1047 and HB 1576 strike the right balance between species protection and economic considerations. Species are best protected when thos...