Nearly 50 years ago, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law. It was uncontentious at the time; little did anyone know what was to come. Though intended to protect imperiled species, the law has become an endless source of conflict.

The Endangered Species Act was designed to do two things: prevent species from going extinct and promote their recovery back to health. The good news is only 1% of ESA-listed species have gone extinct. On the other hand, less than 2% of species have recovered and been delisted. The truth is: While strict regulations may provide a backstop against extinction, those same onerous restrictions aren’t always better for species’ recovery, oftentimes making listed species a liability. That is what we are seeing today.