The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a proposed rule that limits petitions for new endangered species listings to one species. Public Lands Council Executive Director Ethan Lane calls it a move in the right direction to reform the ESA program and make it more efficient and effective.

He says the rule makes progress toward increasing local input in the process.

Lane says the Endangered Species Act has had a terrible rate of species recovery, at less than 2-percent since its inception.

The new U.S. Fish and Wildlife rule also requires more substantive justification for filing a petition under the Endangered Species Act.