Around the country "there are cases of property values dropping by more than 80 percent," Simmons said.

He would change the act to reward landowners who help endangered species. "That's the simplest thing," he said.

"Because otherwise, people just destroy habitat." Eighty percent of all such species have all or part of their habitat on private land, so in order to protect them Congress should find a way to make the law "landowner-friendly," he said.

Rewards could include a conservation reserve program, paying farmers not to farm but to improve habitat; leases; or production contracts that would pay landowners if the endangered animal increases in number on their property.

What if someone refuses to go along with any of these inducements and uses the land however he wished — would Simmons be in favor of this being lawful? Yes, he would.

"I'm a serious property rights advocate," he said.

Lawson LeGate, southwest regional representative for the Sierra Club, based in Salt Lake City, is not happy about talk of amending.

He has heard that changes in the law "might be one of the targets of some members of Congress who are not very friendly towards protecting the environment," he said.

"That would have implications for Utah and the nation if the endangered species act were weakened."

LeGate said it's vital that people do all they can to defend the law. It has been an important bulwark protecting plants, animals and habitat, he said.

"Our concern is that there are some misguided members of Congress who might want to weaken the law," he added. "There have been species very close to home here in Salt Lake City, such as the bald eagle, our nation's symbol, that have benefited as a result of the Endangered Species Act."

Bald eagles by the score winter over in Utah, flying down from Canada. The eagle, listed as threatened in 1973, has been making an impressive comeback.

LeGate said he hates to think of what situation the bald eagle would be in today "if we didn't have a strong endangered species act to protect it." In addition, protection of desert tortoise habitat in southern Utah, under auspices of the act, has helped that reptile, he said.

"The danger is, if the nation were to lose the benefits afforded by the Endangered Species Act, as a people we would be very much poorer," LeGate said.

As much as he would like to see changes, Simmons is not hopeful they will be enacted soon.

The act is a "hugely symbolic piece of legislation, and you're dealing with what many people consider a national symbol," he said.

"It's like saying we're going to modify the Washington Monument. Trying to make changes is extremely difficult."

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com