mr. chairman , i rise today in support of this important very important reform legislation because it is an issue that is very important to me and many of my constituents in my district . 
as we all know , the challenge we face in reforming the esa is to create a balance between the important goal of conservation and preservation of our nation 's species and making sure property owners , businesses , workers and communities do not suffer unnecessarily for these efforts . 
under the current structure of the endangered species act , these two goals have unfortunately been at odds and have been a barrier to important economic development . 
by reforming the current law , we have the opportunity to craft balanced legislation that brings all stakeholders together in common interest . 
i feel strongly that this legislation achieves that balance and , therefore , should be approved . 
a community in my district seeking this balance is durant , oklahoma , which is in part of the `` historic range '' of the american burying beetle . 
the leaders of durant have worked hard and have had success in bringing business to their area of far southeastern oklahoma , but each year , the construction of new sites for these businesses is brought to a screeching halt , always looking for the burying beetle , but no presence of the beetle has been found for a number over years . 
this disruption costs the community time , money , and the potential for future job growth . 
there must be a better way to balance the needs of the species and the needs of the communities . 
this bill provides important reform . 
it does not gut the law , but actually continues to provide important protections for endangered species which we all care about deeply . 
this reform should improve the recovery process and provide real success in saving our national treasures . 
i commend the hard work of those who have brought us here today . 
