Bush looks to weaken Endangered Species Act

[EV_Ares]

Story Highlights:
Bush wants federal agencies to decide for themselves if projects harm wildlife
Changes would "seriously weaken" habitat protections, says conservationist
New rules end reviews that developers say increase many project cost
Similar bill passed in the House in 2005 but died in the Senate


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Parts of the Endangered Species Act may soon be extinct.

An adult male Florida panther growls as he enters his new home at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida.

more photos » The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants.

New regulations, which don't require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft first obtained by The Associated Press.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said late Monday the changes were needed to ensure that the Endangered Species Act would not be used as a "back door" to regulate the gases blamed for global warming. In May, the polar bear became the first species declared as threatened because of climate change. Warming temperatures are expected to melt the sea ice the bear depends on for survival.

The draft rules would bar federal agencies from assessing the emissions from projects that contribute to global warming and its effect on species and habitats.

"We need to focus our efforts where they will do the most good," Kempthorne said in a news conference organized quickly after AP reported details of the proposal. "It is important to use our time and resources to protect the most vulnerable species. It is not possible to draw a link between greenhouse gas emissions and distant observations of impacts on species."

If approved, the changes would represent the biggest overhaul of the Endangered Species Act since 1986. They would accomplish through regulations what conservative Republicans have been unable to achieve in Congress: ending some environmental reviews that developers and other federal agencies blame for delays and cost increases on many projects.

The changes would apply to any project a federal agency would fund, build or authorize that might harm endangered wildlife and their habitat. Government wildlife experts currently perform tens of thousands of such reviews each year. See how the Endangered Species Act works today »

"If adopted, these changes would seriously weaken the safety net of habitat protections that we have relied upon to protect and recover endangered fish, wildlife and plants for the past 35 years," said John Kostyack, executive director of the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming initiative.

See photos of endangered animals »

entire article/photos @ link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/08/11/bush.endangered.species.ap/index.html

[Lint Head]

1. As Cheney and Georgie Boy goes so goes the world. Death is

a sweet nectar to them. Anytime they can kill anything and get away with it is an apparent a joy in their lives. They have no conscience. Katrina = death, Iraq = death, Health care = death, Endangered wildlife = death, The environment = death, Constitution = death. You could wallpaper the den with the list. :dem:

[BarbaRosa]

2. Heck of a job Brownie,

that phrase jumps to mind. Now that bush has packed the government with low rent lackeys, no doubt this is just the policy they want.

[sandyj999]

3. Well Why Not?

He's screwed up everything else.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. The sooner the GOP is on the Endangered List the happier I'll be.

Won't happen soon enough for me.............