With just over a month remaining in office, the Bush administration loosened federal protection of plant and animal species threatened with extinction.On Thursday, the Interior Department announced a change to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, which required federal agencies to consult with scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service to determine whether a project is likely to affect any listed species.Under the new rule, federal agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration can in many cases simply check with their own personnel to determine if their activities will harm any of the 1,247 animal and 747plant species listed as endangered or threatened.So under the new rules, federal agencies that are undertaking a project need not check with Fish and Wildlife or National Marine Fisheries under these circumstances:
Where the action has no effect on a listed species or critical habitat, or
Where the action is wholly beneficial, or
Where the effects of the action can not be measured or detected in a manner that permits meaningful evaluation using the best available science, or
Where the effects of the action are the result of global processes and can not be reliably predicted or measured on the scale of species current range, or would result in an insignificant impact to a listed species, or are such that the potential risk of harm to a species is remote.
“The rule strengthens the regulations so the government can focus on protecting endangered species as it strives to rebuild the American economy,” said Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne.
No comments:
Post a Comment