Endangered Species Act shift sought WASHINGTON (AP) - One of Rep. Bill Thomas' constituents wanted to open a recycling business on 20 acres in the central California community of McKittrick, but he balked when a federal agency said he would have to pay thousands for the permit he would need. Under terms of the 1973 Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked the landowner to buy an additional 380 acres of land for a wildlife refuge to mitigate any harm the recycling business would cause to wildlife. Each acre cost about $1,000, Thomas said. "This is simply extortion, plain and simple," he told the House Resources Committee Wednesday. Thomas, R-Calif., is one of several member of Congress who say they support the idea of protecting endangered species, but want to amend the Endangered Species Act to make it more landowner-friendly. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2559165946-3d8>
