Local Data for Better Conservation Act

Landowners: State Data in Species Decisions

This bill would require the Secretary to accept and integrate State-collected data when deciding to list or to delist a species as threatened or endangered. If enacted, the agency would use state data alongside other evidence in those decisions. Landowners, farmers, and small businesses near species habitat would see changes to possible land-use rules. The change would sometimes lead to stronger protections and sometimes to weaker protections depending on what the state data shows.