This bill reforms how the federal government lists species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. When an established conservation group objects to a proposed species listing within 21 days, the bill requires the government to halt the listing process and convene an independent third-party review team of five to nine experts to evaluate whether the listing should proceed, be terminated, or be sent back for further review. The review team must include experts in wildlife science, economic impacts, conservation partnerships, and natural resource industries like oil and gas and forestry, but cannot include current or former Fish and Wildlife Service employees. The bill also increases transparency by requiring detailed information about peer reviewers and excluded scientific materials in species assessments, gives private landowners the sole discretion to choose which type of voluntary conservation agreement to enter, and codifies existing conservation partnerships into law. The entire review and decision process must be completed within about six months, with the third-party team's determination being binding as final agency action.
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