What are “reasonable efforts” to restore habitat? Supreme Court argument highlights the importance of who pays to recover endangered species

Originally posted on FREEcology:
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral argument in Weyerhaeuser Co. v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, concerning the agency’s authority to designate land as critical habitat if it isn’t even habitat in its present condition. Recognizing that such a power could easily be abused, the short-handed court…